BERLIN DECLARATION: 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF
THE TREATIES OF ROME
Letter from Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP, Minister
for Europe, Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the Chairman
During my evidence session with the Committee
on 19 December 2006, we discussed the political Declaration which
will be issued in Berlin on 25 March 2007 to mark the 50th anniversary
of the signing of the Treaties of Rome. I would like to take this
opportunity to set out the German Presidency's plans for producing
the Declaration and what we hope to see in the text.
The German Presidency has asked each Member
State to nominate a "focal point" and accompanying aide
to liaise with the Presidency in their consultations in preparation
for the Political Declaration. The UK focal points are Mr Kim
Darroch, Head of the Cabinet Office European Secretariat, and
Ms Shan Morgan, European Union Director in the Foreign & Commonwealth
Office. Ms Morgan has replaced Dr Nicola Brewer Europe Director-General
in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, who is moving on).
Bilateral meetings between focal points and
the German Presidency have been taking place since 23 January
and are due to finish on 2 February. We understand that the Presidency
may follow up with a meeting of all focal points in Berlin sometime
between 12 and 16 February. We also understand the Presidency
plan to brief Heads of State and Government about the Declaration
at the Spring European Council dinner on 8 March, and subsequently
intend to issue a draft text and finalise it for adoption in Berlin
on 25 March.
We believe the Berlin Declaration should be
a short and accessible document. It should not only celebrate
50 years of achievements and the shared values of EU members but
also look forward to the key challenges facing the European Union
and its citizens in a globalised world. As I stated before the
Lords Select Committee on 19 December, we will be happy to consider
any contributions from Parliament regarding the content of the
Declaration.
1 February 2007
Letter from the Chairman to Rt Hon Geoff
Hoon MP
Thank you very much for your letter of 1 February
2007 regarding the preparation of the political Berlin Declaration
marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome. I have circulated
the letter to the Members of the Select Committee and we discussed
it at our meeting of 20 February. The Committee welcomes the fact
that this celebration is taking place in Berlin.
We welcome the choice of UK focal points to
liaise with the Presidency in the ongoing consultations on the
Declaration and we are grateful for the timetable. We share Government's
view that the Declaration should be a short and accessible document.
We appreciate that the preparation of the text is essentially
an intergovernmental exercise, taking into account the contributions
forwarded by the Presidents of the Commission and European Parliament,
Your offer made to the Select Committee on 19 December 2006 to
consider any contributions from Parliament regarding the content
of the declaration—an offer repeated in your letter of 1
February—was much appreciated.
The Committee has taken the view that we would
prefer not to comment until we have seen the text. We are assuming
that it will indeed be a political declaration without legal force,
and we would be particularly interested in your views on that
question. We would wish to reserve the right to insist that any
commitments binding upon the Member States would need to be subject
to scrutiny by this Parliament. We will also at that stage wish
to know what steps are being taken to inform citizens of the Declaration
and what implications, if any, it may have for national parliaments.
The Committee would be grateful if, as a matter
of urgency, you would confirm our impression that the consultations
and negotiations appear to be leading towards the inclusion in
the text of matters bearing on institutional changes which might
risk prejudging some of the outcomes of the June European Council.
In that event, we would seek clarification from you on the relationship
between the Declaration and the ongoing Presidency consultations
on the Constitutional Treaty, and on the Government's position.
1 March 2007
Letter from the Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP to
the Chairman
Please find enclosed a Written Ministerial Statement
that I made on 12 March about events to mark the 50th Anniversary
of signing of the Treaties of Rome.
As this statement sets out, EU Heads of State
and Government will mark the Anniversary at an informal meeting
in Berlin on 25 March, and there will be an accompanying political
declaration. There will also be a range of events taking place
across the UK. In addition, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
and the British Council, supported by the Department for Education
and Skills, are launching "Learning Together"—a
new initiative to encourage partnerships between schools in the
UK and Europe.
15 March 2007
Annex A
WRITTEN STATEMENT
On 25 March, the European Union celebrates the
50th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaties of Rome. This
is an important opportunity to mark the achievements of the EU.
It is also a key moment to look ahead to the new challenges and
opportunities of the global age, and how the EU can deliver for
its citizens in the next 50 years. On major cross-border challenges
such as terrorism, climate change, energy security, economic competition,
migration or organised crime, the EU plays a vital role. These
are the issues that the government put to the top of the EU's
agenda during our Presidency in 2005 and on which we are working
successfully with partners to drive forward results. In this 50th
Anniversary year, the Government will therefore continue to support
a range of activities to raise awareness and engage the public
in debate on key challenges and the EU's role in helping to address
them.
As part of our celebrations to mark this significant
anniversary, FCO, DfES and the British Council will launch later
this month a major year-long initiative called "Learning
Together" to promote partnerships between UK schools and
schools in other EU countries. Information will be made available
to all schools across the UK about the range of opportunities
available for schools to develop learning partnerships with European
counterparts, including through EU programmes such as Comenius
and e-Twinning. The initiative will ensure that relevant information
and materials are made easily available to teachers. It will assist
teachers and heads already in school partnerships to share their
experience with other schools. This will help schools that have
not previously taken part in international activities to get involved.
International partnerships and exchanges offer
young people exciting opportunities, and can introduce international
elements into a wide range of relevant curriculum subjects. "Learning
Together" will also contribute to the government's goal,
outlined in the 2004 DfES International Strategy "Putting
the World into World-Class Education", of enabling every
English school and college to establish a sustainable partnership
with an international partner.
A wide range of other events will be taking
place in the UK for the 50th Anniversary. For example, the Union
of European Football Associations (UEFA), Manchester United and
the European Commission have organised a charity friendly football
match between Manchester United and a Europe XI team. The "50
years in Europe and 50 years of Europe" match on 13 March
will celebrate both the 50th Anniversary of the EU and the 50th
anniversary of Manchester United's participation as the first
English team to play in UEFA's European club competition. The
University Association for Contemporary European Studies will
host a conference at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, entitled
"Reflections on European Integration—50 Years of the
Treaty of Rome" on 23-24 March. And the European Movement
in association with the Federal Trust and Chatham House will host
a conference "Europe, the next 50 years" on 22 March.
At EU level, Heads of State and Government will
mark the Anniversary at an informal meeting in Berlin on 25 March,
and there will be an accompanying political declaration. Other
EU-level events over the Anniversary weekend include a programme
of cultural festivities in Berlin being organised by the German
Presidency, cultural events and a symposium in Brussels, and a
Youth Summit in Rome.
Letter from Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP to the
Chairman
Thank you for your letter of 1 March 2007 regarding
the 50th Anniversary Declaration and your comments on my letter
to you of 1 February. I attach a copy of the 50th Anniversary
Declaration, which was issued on Sunday at the informal meeting
of Heads of State and Government in Berlin. A copy has also been
deposited in the House of Commons Library.
The Declaration was drafted by the German Presidency
although they consulted Member States, in the course of that process,
on elements they wished to see included. I am sorry that it was
not possible to send you a text in advance of the informal. You
are right that the Declaration is not legally binding and, as
such, will not be subject to the scrutiny procedure applied to
such instruments.
You expressed concern that discussions on the
Declaration might be "leading towards an inclusion in the
text of matters bearing on institutional changes which might risk
prejudging some of the outcomes of the June European Council".
This weekend's meeting in Berlin was informal and did not take
decisions on this matter. We are clear that any decisions on the
future of the Constitutional Treaty or institutional reform will
be for the June 2007 European Council, as per the June 2006 European
Council Conclusions.
27 March 2007
Annex A
DECLARATION ON
THE OCCASION
OF THE
FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE
SIGNATURE OF
THE TREATIES
OF ROME
For centuries Europe has been an idea, holding
out hope of peace and understanding. That hope has been fulfilled.
European unification has made peace and prosperity possible. It
has brought about a sense of community and overcome differences.
Each Member State has helped to unite Europe and to strengthen
democracy and the rule of law. Thanks to the yearning for freedom
of the people of Central and Eastern Europe the unnatural division
of Europe is now consigned to the past. European integration shows
that we have learnt the painful lessons of a history marked by
bloody conflict. Today we live together as was never possible
before.
We, the citizens of the European Union, have
united for the better.
I.
In the European Union, we are turning our common
ideals into reality: for us, the individual is paramount. His
dignity is inviolable. His rights are inalienable. Women and men
enjoy equal rights.
We are striving for peace and freedom, for democracy
and the rule of law, for mutual respect and shared responsibility,
for prosperity and security, for tolerance and participation,
for justice and solidarity.
We have a unique way of living and working together
in the European Union. This is expressed through the democratic
interaction of the Member States and the European institutions.
The European Union is founded on equal rights and mutually supportive
cooperation. This enable us to strike a fair balance between Member
States' interests.
We preserve in the European Union the identities
and diverse traditions of its Member States. We are enriched by
open borders and a lively variety of languages, cultures and regions.
There are many goals which we cannot achieve on our own, but only
in concert. Tasks are shared between the European Union, the Member
States and their regions and local authorities.
II.
We are facing major challenges which do not
stop at national borders. The European Union is our response to
these challenges. Only together can we continue to preserve our
ideal of European society in future for the good of all European
Union citizens. This European model combines economic success
and social responsibility. The common market and the euro make
us strong. We can thus shape the increasing interdependence of
the global economy and ever-growing competition on international
markets according to our values. Europe's wealth lies in the knowledge
and ability of its people; that is the key to growth, employment
and social cohesion.
We will fight terrorism, organised crime and
illegal immigration together. We stand up for liberties and civil
rights also in the struggle against those who oppose them. Racism
and xenophobia must never again be given any rein.
We are committed to the peaceful resolution
of conflicts in the world and to ensuring that people do not become
victims of war, terrorism and violence. The European Union wants
to promote freedom and development in the world. We want to drive
back poverty, hunger and disease. We want to continue to take
a leading role in that fight.
We intend jointly to lead the way in energy
policy and climate protection and make our contribution to averting
the global threat of climate change.
III.
The European Union will continue to thrive both
on openness and on the will of its Member States to consolidate
the Union's internal development. The European Union will continue
to promote democracy, stability and prosperity beyond its borders.
With European unification a dream of earlier
generations has become a reality. Our history reminds us that
we must protect this for the good of future generations. For that
reason we must always renew the political shape of Europe in keeping
with the times. That is why today, 50 years after the signing
of the Treaties of Rome, we are united in our aim of placing the
European Union on a renewed common basis before the European Parliament
elections in 2009.
For we know, Europe is our common future.
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