MEMORANDUM SUBMITTED BY THE SECRETARY
OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
PROSPECTS FOR THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL, HELSINKI,
10-11 DECEMBER 1999
1. The President of the Council, Paavo Lipponen,
will visit London on 30 November as part of hispre-Helsinki tour
of capitals. The Presidency will only finalise the agenda after
that tour and the General Affairs Council on 6-7 December.
2. At this stage, however, we expect the
main topics for the Helsinki European Council to include:
— the forthcoming Intergovernmental
Conference and Institutional reform; European Defence and Economic
issues.
ENLARGEMENT
3. Heads of Government are likely to endorse
a Commission recommedation that invitations be extended to all
six "pre-ins" (Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia, Romania
and Bulgaria). They will also be asked to confirm that the criteria
for membership, agreed at the Copenhagen European Council in 1993,
remain unchanged and that they apply to all candidates. The Presidency
will propose, in line with a recommendation from the Commission
that, with the widening of accession negotiations next year, a
more rigorous form of differentiation will be needed, allowing
each country to make progress strictly according to its own ability.
We support all these recommendations.
TURKEY
4. The Commission has recommended that the
European Council confirm Turkey as a candidate country and has
proposed an ambitious programme to give substance to that status:
enhanced political dialogue, including human rights, an Accession
Partnership and screening. Accession negotiations themselves could
not begin until Turkey met the Copenhagen political criteria.
We support this approach. If it prevails, it offers the prospect
of putting EU/Turkey relations on a better footing than for many
years.
INTERGOVERNMENTAL
CONFERENCE
5. Helsinki is expected to build on the
conclusions to the Cologne European Council by deciding on the
scope and timing of the next IGC, on the basis of a preparatory
report from the Presidency. Heads of Government are likely to
confirm the objective of completing the IGC negotiations by December
2000. We continue to support a short and focussed IGC, delivering
the institutional changes necessary for the next enlargement of
the Union. Helsinki may also consider the practicalities of how
the IGC will be negotiated, including the role of the European
Parliament and how to keep the applicant countries informed.
6. The Government will issue a White Paper
on its approach to the IGC in advance of the formal opening of
negotiations.
COUNCIL REFORM:
THE TRUMPF-PIRIS
REPORT
7. The Presidency will present a report
to the Helsinki European Council detailing discussions and progress
made on the implementation of the recommendations in the Council
Secretariat's paper on the Operation of the Council post-enlargement
(the "Trumpf-Piris Report"). The paper makes a systematic
examination of all aspects of the Council's operation within an
enlarged Union and makes 143 recommendations for changes. The
Government welcomes the report. It is generally sensible and represents
a good starting point for shaping how the Council should develop
in the coming years.
COMMISSION REFORM
8. Commission reform will not be a major
agenda item for the Helsinki European Council, but we expect Commission
President Romano Prodi to report on the progress of the programme
of internal reform that he and Neil Kinnock are leading. Full
proposals are expected from the Commission in February. The UK
fully supports this programme and we hope that the European Council
will again express its commitment to supporting this modernisation
of the Commission.
CHARTER OF
RIGHTS
9. The Charter of Rights is unlikely to
feature at Helsinki. The mandate and practical arrangements for
drafting were agreed at Cologne and Tampere. The drafting body
first meets on 17 December. The Government and Parliament are
appointing representatives to the drafting body which is expected
to finish work by December 2000.
DEFENCE
10. Helsinki will mark an important step
forwards on the substance of the Prime Minister's European Defence
Initiative. Our main aim is to set a challenging performance goal
for European military capabilities: by 2003, Europeans to be able
to deploy more effective forces for crisis management, either
as part of a NATO operation or as an EU-led operation. We also
intend to agree the detailed structure of EU crisis management
decision-making bodies including the establishment, in due course,
of a permanent Political and Security Committee in Brussels and,
in the meantime, of an interim Committee to allow CFSP to become
more operational. We also hope to agree how non-EU members of
NATO and the WEU can be involved. Wording on the timetable for
the establishment of these bodies, for the interim arrangements
that will be required and for EU/NATO relations will also be important.
ECONOMIC AND
EMPLOYMENT ISSUES
11. The main economic issues likely to be
discussed at Helsinki are:
(a) Economic Reform
We expect to promote a forthcoming Commission
paper on developing the information society and a draft resolution
on the social and labour market dimension of the information society.
This work will feed into the wider preparations underway for a
Special European Council in Lisbon on 23 and 24 March 2000 on
Employment, Economic Reform and Social Cohesion on which the Prime
Minister has written to the Presidency setting out UK ideas.
(b) Tax
The Cologne European Council called for agreement
to be reached by Helsinki on three tax dossiers: the draft Directive
on the Taxation of Savings; the draft Directive on the Taxation
of Interest and Royalties; and the work of the Code of Conduct
Group on Business Taxation. Discussion of the draft Directive
on the Taxation of Interest and Royalties has proved uncontroversial.
The work of the Code of Conduct Group chaired by the Paymaster
General is also making good progress. But many issues remain unresolved
on the draft Directive on Taxation of Savings. We have made clear
that the London Eurobond market must be protected; and have put
forward proposals which would do that. There will be further discussion
at the ECOFIN on 29 November. If the dossier is not concluded
then, there may need to be discussion at Helsinki.
(c) Employment
Helsinki will approve EU employment guidelines,
adopt a joint employment report and discuss the Commission's first-ever
recommendations on member state employment practices. We support
this process, but some Member States have disagreed with the recommendations
addressed to them.
SINGLE MARKET
12. At Helsinki, the Commission will present
its new Single Market Strategy, which follows the expiry of the
Single Market Action Plan at the end of 1998. This is a rolling
programme for improving the single market, with target actions
which will be reviewed annually. The UK broadly welcomes the draft
Strategy and supports the Commission's work in this area. We are
particularly pleased to note such elements as the development
of the use of the Single Market Scoreboard:
— a key tool for encouraging Member
States to fulfil their single market obligations;
— and the estblishment of processes
such an annual cycle to review progress.
MILLENNIUM DECLARATION
13. Helsinki will agree a Millennium Declaration
on the Union's priorities for future years. The Presidency is
expected to propose a draft shortly before, or at, the European
Council. It is likely to be short and to focus on the key tasks
facing the EU over the next five years.
JUSTICE AND
HOME AFFAIRS
14. Substantive discussion of JHA issues
at Helsinki is unlikely so soon after the Tampere special European
Council. Tampere agreed a range of measures for action in three
areas:
— asylum and immigration, including
a common approach to handling asylum applications, and action
against illegal immigration;
— judicial co-operation, particularly
the endorsement of the principle of mutual recognition;
— combating cross border crime; including
greater co-operation between national prosecutors, and agreement
to set up a task force of European Police Chiefs to organise cross-border
police operations.
These measures will enhance access to freedom,
security and justice for EU citizens.
15. The Presidency plan to submit to Helsinki
a report on finalisation and evaluation of the 1997 Action Plan
on Organised Crime. They may also aim for endorsement of main
principals of a draft Action Plan on common action for the Russian
Federation on combating organised crime. Heads are expected to
agree the EU Action Plan to Combat Drugs (2000-04), based on the
Commission Communication of 8 June.
ENVIRONMENT
16. Helsinki will review overall progress
made on implementing the Cardiff commitment to integrate the environment
into other EU policy-making areas. Strategies and reports for
environmental integration and sustainable development will be
submitted by six of the nine sectoral Councils invited so far
to take forward the process. The Commission will also submit its
"Global Assessment" of the 1992 Fifth Environmental
Action Programme entitled "towards sustainability",
together with a report on environmental and sustainable development
indicators. The Environmental Council has called on Heads to consider
the need for a comprehensive EU Sustainable Development Strategy
and the development of a set of headline indicators. The Government
supports the development of such a strategy.
SPORT
17. The Commission will submit to the European
Council a report on sports policy in Europe which is likely to
address how other Community Policies (for example, Competition
and free movement of people) impact on sport. The report may also
touch on doping in sport. The Government is not convinced that
a role exists for the Commission in sport (the Treaty does not
give the Commission any powers) but will be interested to see
the reports.
FOOD SAFETY
18. The Commission will submit to Helsinki
a White paper they plan to adopt in early December, setting out
options for an EU Food Safety Agency. The Government supports
the general idea of a European Agency and is interested in pursuing
the idea. There is clearly scope to do more to protect consumers
and improve food safety at an EU level, in particular in the provision
of scientific advice.
COMMON FOREIGN
AND SECURITY
POLICY
19. The European Council will consider a
number of Common Foreign and Security Policy issues, including
progress on the negotiation and implementation of the EU's first
Common Strategies. It is likely to adopt a Common Strategy on
Ukraine, setting a framework of objectives to be pursued in the
EU's relations with Ukraine. It will consider progress on the
preparation of Common Strategies on the Western Balkans and the
Mediterranean, and on the implementation of the Russia Common
Strategy adopted at Cologne. In addition, the Council is likely
to consider progress on a number of CFSP issues of topical interest
(yet to be identified).
REFERENCES
Enlargement and Turkey
Copenhagen European Council: established
the political and economic criteria
Luxembourg European Council: decided
on the process of accession and set aside pre-accession funding,
also set out a European Strategy for Turkey (which Turkey rejected)
Cardiff European Council: welcomed the
opening of negotiations with the first six countries and tried
to restore relations with Turkey
Vienna European Council: noted progress
so far in negotiations and screening (for the pre-ins) and, in
an annex on enlargement, dealt in more detail with the recommendations
in the Commission's first regular reports.
Berlin European Council: Agreed Agenda
2000, which makes financial provision for up to six new members
to join the EU between 2002-2006 and confirmed enlargement as
a "historic priority".
Cologne European Council: short conclusions
which noted progress, reaffirmed Copenhagen criteria and emphasised
the important the EU attached to high standards of nuclear safety.
Intergovernmental Conference
The Cologne European Council set out the basic
IGC agenda and its approximate timing.
Council reform: the Trumpf-Piris Report
The Cologne European Council welcomed the Trumpf-Piris
report and called upon the GAC to submit specific proposals for
improving the operation of the Council with a view to enlargement
to the Helsinki European Council.
Commission Reform
The Cologne European Council emphasised the
importance it attached to the reform and modernisation of the
Commission and the European Civil Service. It welcomed the intention
of the then Commission President Designate to present specific
proposals for reform at the beginning of 2000. Cologne also welcomed
the Commission's intention to submit proposals for the reform
of the method of adjusting remunerations, pensions and staffing
policy.
Defence
The Cologne Declaration on strengthening the
common European security and defence policy included a declaration
of intent to develop "the capacity for autonomous action,
backed up by credible military forces, the means to decide to
use them, and a readiness to do so, in order to respond to international
crises". The Vienna European Council Conclusions welcomed
the new impetus given to the debate on European Defence.
Economic Reform
Cardiff established peer review-based process
of economic reform.
Tax
Cologne called for agreement to be reached at
Helsinki on three tax dossiers: the draft Directive on the Taxation
of Savings; the draft Directive on the Taxation of Interest and
Royalties; and the work of the Code of Conduct Group on Business
Taxation. This drew on the work of previous European Councils,
in particular Vienna.
Employment
Cologne established the European Employment
Pact, bringing together the Cardiff (economic reform) and Luxembourg
(employment) processes and adding a third, the Cologne macroeconomic
dialogue.
Single Market
At Vienna the European Council welcomed the
Commission's intention to make further use of the Single Market
Scoreboard, and called on Member States to improve their record
in transposing Community rules into national law. Priority areas
were identified as better regulation, improving consumer protection,
developing the single market in financial services, reducing state
aids, and upholding the principle of mutual recognition.
The Cologne Council did not discuss the Scoreboard,
concentrating instead on the Commission's action plan for creating
a single market in financial services.
Millennium Declaration
The Vienna European Council agreed that Helsinki
would adopt a "Millennium Declaration" on the Union's
priorities for future years.
Justice and Home Affairs
Cardiff expressed deep concern about the threat
to our societies posed by drugs, endorsed the key elements of
an EU strategy to tackle all aspects of the problem in 2000-04,
and asked the Council and the Commission to develop this into
a comprehensive plan as a basis of action.
Vienna invited the institutions to develop further
an integrated and balanced post-1999 drugs strategy taking into
account the new possibilities offered by the Amsterdam Treaty.
Vienna also called for a strengthening of EU
action against organised crime in the light of the new possibilities
opened by the Amsterdam Treaty.
Tampere underlined the importance of addressing
the drugs problem in a comprehensive manner. It called upon the
Council to adopt the 2000-04 European Strategy against Drugs before
the Helsinki European Council.
Environment
Cologne noted the Commission's report on the
integration and sustainable development process and reaffirmed
the Council's intention to review at Helsinki overall progress
on the initiative begun at Cardiff. It called upon the General
Affairs, ECOFIN and Fisheries Councils to report back in 2000
on the integration of the environment and sustainable development
into their policy areas.
Cologne also emphasised the EU's desire to fulfil
Kyoto commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to press
for speedy ratification of the Kyoto Protocol under the Action
Plan agreed at the Buenos Aires climate conference. It stressed
the importance of development joint and co-ordinated policies
and measures at Community level to supplement the efforts of Member
States. It called on sectoral Councils to pay particular attention
to climate change in the preparation of their integration strategies
for Helsinki. Cologne also urged ECOFIN to take an early decision
on the development of a framework for energy taxation.
Sport
The Vienna European Council (December 1998)
recalled the declaration on sport attached to the Amsterdam Treaty
and invited the Commission to submit a report to the Helsinki
Council with a view to safeguarding current sports structures
and maintaining the social function of sport within the Community
framework. The European Council also underlined its concern over
doping in sports which undermines the sporting ethic and endangers
public health. It invited Member States to examine jointly with
the Commission and international sports bodies possible measures
to intensify the fight against this danger, particularly through
better co-ordination of existing national measures.
A declaration on sport attached to the Amsterdam
Treaty, which came into force on 1 May 1999, emphasises the social
significance of sport and called on Member States to listen to
input from sports associations on relevant issues, and to give
special consideration to the characteristics of amateur sports.
Common Foreign and Security Policy
The conclusions of the Vienna European Council
commissioned a Common Strategy on Ukraine.
DOCUMENTS LIKELY TO BE CONSIDERED AT THE
EUROPEAN COUNCIL
ENLARGEMENT
Commission Progress reports and Composite Paper
(likely to be approved at 6th December GAC).
INTERGOVERNMENTAL
CONFERENCE
Presidency preparation report (not yet available).
Commission communication on "Adapting the
Institutions to make a success of enlargement".
COUNCIL REFORM:
THE TRUMPF-PIRIS
REPORT
Council Secretariat Paper: Operation of the
Council with an Enlarged Union in Prospect.
Finnish Presidency Paper: Operation of the Council
with an Enlarged Union in Prospect: Method of Work.
Finnish Presidency Progress Report (not yet
available).
DEFENCE
Report on European Defence by the Presidency
(not yet available).
ECONOMIC REFORM
Draft Council resolution on the social and labour
market dimension of the information society.
TAX
Draft Directive on the Taxation of Savings.
(Plus UK paper on the treatment of international bonds under the
draft Directive).
Draft directive on the Taxation of Interest
and Royalties.
Draft report of the Code of Conduct Group on
Business Taxation.
Third Report by ECOFIN on reinforced tax policy
co-operation.
EMPLOYMENT
Joint Employment Report.
Guidelines for Member States Employment Policies
2000.
Draft Council recommendations on the implementation
of Member States' employment policies.
SINGLE MARKET
Commission Communication: The Strategy for Europe's
Single Market.
Commission Communication on target actions for
the Single Market.
MILLENNIUM DECLARATION
(possibly) Presidency draft text (not yet
available).
JUSTICE AND
HOME AFFAIRS
Report on finalisation and evaluation of the
Action Plan on Organised Crime.
Draft EU Action Plan to Combat Drugs, 2000-2004,
(Commission Communication of 8th June 1999) together perhaps,
with Presidency Report on Member State views.
(possibly) Report on action on drugs in the
EU in 1999.
ENVIRONMENT
Commission Communication on integrating the
environment into Community policies.
Commission's "Global Assessment" of
the Fifth Environmental Action Programme.
Commission report on environmental and sustainable
development indicators.
Sustainable development strategies produced
by the Transport, Agriculture and Energy Councils.
Reports on integration of environment and sustainable
development produced by the Development, Industry and Internal
Market Councils.
SPORT
Commission report on sports policy in Europe.
FOOD SAFETY
Commission White Paper on EU Food Safety Agency.
COMMON FOREIGN
AND SECURITY
POLICY
Draft Common Strategy on Ukraine.
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