16. December 2003

Speaking today during the European Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg Monica Frassoni, Co-President of the Green/EFA Group, said that the European Union was neither stronger nor more united after six months of the Italian Presidency of the Council.

Addressing the Council President Silvio Berlusconi, Monica Frassoni said:

"Your Government's attempts to strengthen the Union following divisive debates on Iraq has been totally insignificant. Your statements on Chechnya, your lack of initiative on the death penalty and your unconditional support to the Bush and Sharon governments have further reduced what little credibility the Union had as an international actor. All of this is symptomatic of an approach that is in such contrast to traditional Italian positions that it has surprised even the most eurosceptic members of the EU."

"But your Presidency will be foremost remembered for its failure to find agreement on the text approved by the Convention. It would certainly be unfair to say that the responsibility for this failure lies exclusively with your weak preparation. But it is absolutely untrue to say that there was agreement on most of the 82 points proposed by the Italian Presidency – some of which were steps backwards not only from the Convention but also from Nice. We reaffirm that, until today, the only text on the discussion table is that of the Convention."

Read the full press release on-line:
http://www.greens-efa.org/en/press/detail.php?id=1711&lg=en