Giscard D'Estaing rejects working group on partnership agreements

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman George Vella said yesterday that the president of the Convention on the Future of Europe, Valery Giscard d'Estaing, had refused a request for the setting up of a working group to discuss flexible partnerships between the EU and non-members, saying that was not within the convention's remit.

The Party of European Socialists, however , had agreed that it would be wise to create a new status for countries that were neighbours of the EU but did not seek EU membership, thus allowing the EU to develop stronger political, economic and cultural links with them.

Speaking in parliament on the adjournment of yesterday morning's sitting, Dr Vella said such a status, which could be known as the "intermediate status" had not been offered to Malta yet because the island was still considered as a country seeking accession.

But Malta would no longer be seeking accession after the next general elections, which, in the words of Giuliano Amato, were "likely" to be won by the Labour Party and Malta would thus be eligible for the new status. Amato, a former Italian prime minister, heads the European socialists and is the deputy chairman of the Convention on the Future of Europe.

Dr Vella said the Labour Party had made it clear from the outset that is disagreed with Malta joining the EU and was participating in the Convention on the Future of Europe as it felt it could play a role in the development of Europe. Its vision, as explained by Dr Sant in his address to the convention, was that the future of Europe should be flexible and open to diversity and there should be various forms of association with the EU.

Dr Vella said that a group within which the MLP had worked as part of the convention had agreed with the party's view that among the working groups being set up by the convention, there should be one on flexible partnerships between the EU and non-member states. A request for the setting up of such a study group had therefore been made to the president of the convention, former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing.

Mr Giscard D'Estaing turned down the request on June 13, viewing it as not falling within the remit of the convention.

That decision, Dr Vella said, had surprised Mr Amato who had remarked to him that the request had never been discussed in the convention's presidium.

Dr Vella said that meanwhile working groups were set up within the socialist group to discuss different themes involving the future of Europe. He had participated in working group one discussing justice, solidarity, tolerance and diversity.

He had shown where the MLP agreed and disagreed with the EU.

Giuliano Amato subsequently came to Malta. In one of the meetings here, the Malta delegate to the convention, Rev. Prof. Peter Serracino Inglott said he felt one should discuss the way the MLP viewed the EU. Mr Amato agreed. At this stage, Dr Vella said, he told Mr Amato of the request made to Mr Giscard D'Estaing and his refusal, a matter which surprised Mr Amato.

Dr Vella said a document issued by working group one after a seminar in Florence in July included a footnote saying that: "The Maltese Labour Party is not in favour of Malta becoming a full member of the EU but advocates a tailor-made partnership and cooperation agreement with the EU along the lines of the Swiss model. The view of the MLP is that such a partnership and cooperation agreement could better take account of the particular socio-economic and geopolitical constraints of Malta than EU membership. Nonetheless the MLP shares the basic values and principles of this document."

Dr Vella said this seminar was in preparation for a meeting of the socialist group in Birmingham at the end of August to discuss a draft final document to be presented to the convention.

Literature distributed to the delegates in Birmingham included his proposed amendment to the draft final document saying: "The European Union cannot and should not become a fortress Europe, inward looking and satisfying only the interests of its members, but a European Union which is flexible to accommodate diversity in relation to other European countries who because of their own particular circumstances or simply because they feel that it is in the best interest of their citizens, do not go for full membership. The EU should extend to these countries the feasibility of negotiated partnership and cooperation agreements or different associative systems that take into consideration the particular circumstances of the country concerned and reach agreements which could be in the best interest of both parties."

Dr Vella said Giuliano Amato on August 31 told him that he had met Mr Giscard D'Estaing and he had got the impression that he now agreed that something in the context of the relationship with non-EU countries should be discussed. Mr Amato had said that EU Commission president Romano Prodi was of the same view.

Mr Amato said there should be some provision on this relationship applicable not only for countries such as Malta but also countries which did not ratify the Nice or other treaties.

Mr Amato added, however, that the MLP's proposals for the final document should be more concise.

Indeed, when he spoke during the conference, Giuliano Amato spoke on the need for a clause on how the EU would deal with neighbouring countries which opted to stay out of the union. He suggested that they could be called intermediate states "as Malta would be, if our comrades win the next election, which looks likely and probable."

That would put such countries between full members and remote regions. Such countries, Mr Amato had said, could have everything as part of their relationship with the EU but not be members of its institutions.

Dr Vella said he had said all this to show how the Labour Party was preparing for the time when it was elected to government and forged a relationship with the EU which was tailor-made and beneficial for both sides.