US embassy cable - 02ROME6062

UNCLAS ROME 006062 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, IT, EUR, EUN 
SUBJECT:  FINI AND FRATTINI ON THE EU CONVENTION 
 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  ITALIAN DEPUTY PM AND GOI REPRESENTATIVE TO 
THE EU CONVENTION GIANFRANCO FINI AND FM FRANCO FRATTINI 
TOLD PARLIAMENT THAT POSITIONS WITHIN THE EU CONVENTION ARE 
STILL DISTANT AND THE CONVENTION WILL PROBABLY TRANSMIT 
"DIVERGENT" PROPOSALS TO THE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE 
(IGC).  THEY STRESSED ITALY'S WISH TO SIGN A NEW EU TREATY 
DURING ITS PRESIDENCY IN THE SECOND HALF OF 2003, AND 
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REMARKED THAT ITALY'S APPROACH IN THE IGC WILL BE "OPEN AND 
FLEXIBLE."  FINI PROPOSED INSERTING A CLAUSE ON RELIGION IN 
THE FUTURE EU TREATY.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  DEPUTY PM FINI AND FM FRATTINI APPEARED BEFORE A JOINT 
SESSION OF THE SENATE AND CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES FOREIGN 
AFFAIRS COMMITTEES DECEMBER 17 TO TALK ABOUT PROGRESS ON 
THE EU CONVENTION.  FINI ARGUED AT LENGTH ON THE NEED FOR A 
"CONSTITUTIONAL ARCHITECTURE" FOR EUROPE AND OF ITS 
IMPORTANCE WHEN THE EU ENLARGES TO 25 COUNTRIES.  HE SAID, 
HOWEVER, THAT POSITIONS WITHIN THE CONVENTION ARE STILL 
DISTANT AND THAT IT WAS UNLIKELY TO REACH AGREEMENT ON THE 
CHAPTER ON INSTITUTIONAL REFORM IN THE CONVENTION'S DRAFT 
CONSTITUTIONAL TREATY. 
 
3.  THIS NOTWITHSTANDING, FINI SAID THE EU-15 AGREE THAT AN 
ENLARGED EU CAN CONTINUE TO FUNCTION BY KEEPING ITS CURRENT 
BALANCE OF POWERS, THAT IS, THE CURRENT "INSTITUTIONAL 
TRIANGLE" BETWEEN THE EU COUNCIL, THE EU COMMISSION, AND 
THE EU PARLIAMENT.  HE ARGUED THAT REFORM MUST CONTINUE 
WHILE PRESERVING THE CURRENT "BALANCE AMONG FUNDAMENTAL 
POWERS."  EUROPEAN PUBLIC OPINION, HE SAID, WANTS THE EU TO 
BE "SIMPLE, TRANSPARENT, AND EFFECTIVE." 
 
4.  FINI DID NOT OFFER MUCH DETAIL ON THE STATE OF PROGRESS 
IN THE CONVENTION.  HE DID SAY THAT IN A 25-MEMBER EUROPE, 
THE CURRENT SIX-MONTH ROTATIONAL PRESIDENCY WILL NOT WORK 
AND THAT THE PREVAILING FEELING WITHIN THE CONVENTION IS TO 
ADOPT A ROTATIONAL PRESIDENCY OF "AT LEAST" TWO YEARS. 
THIS COULD BE COUNTER-BALANCED BY GIVING THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT A STRONGER ROLE: THE EU COUNCIL COULD NOMINATE 
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THE EU ROTATIONAL PRESIDENT AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 
COULD "RATIFY AND SUPPORT" THAT DECISION BY MAJORITY VOTE. 
 
5.  FINI SAID THERE IS A "WIDE AND SATISFACTORY" 
CONVERGENCE OF POSITIONS ON SEVERAL POINTS, MANY OF WHICH 
HAVE THE GOI'S SUPPORT.  AGAIN, HE DID NOT OFFER MUCH 
INFORMATION, LIMITING HIMSELF TO SAYING THESE POINTS 
INCLUDE INVESTING THE EU WITH "FULL LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY" 
AND ADOPTING THE PRINCIPLE OF SUBSIDIARITY IN DISTRIBUTING 
POWERS AND AUTHORITY. 
 
6.  ON SUBSIDIARITY, FINI NOTED THAT THE EU WILL PROBABLY 
WANT TO GIVE NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS A "STRONG ROLE OF 
VERIFICATION," INCLUDING THE POWER TO APPEAL TO THE 
EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE IF THEY DETECT VIOLATIONS.  HE 
ADDED THAT THERE IS "UNANIMOUS CONVERGENCE" AT THE 
CONVENTION ON NOT WEIGHING DOWN THE FUTURE EU CONSTITUTION 
WITH A "RIGID LIST OF POWERS," BUT MAKING IT INSTEAD 
"FLEXIBLE." 
 
7.  ON RELIGION, HE SAID A POSSIBILITY WOULD BE TO INCLUDE 
IN ARTICLE 34 ON THE PRINCIPLES OF PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY 
A SUB-ARTICLE REGARDING STRUCTURED DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE EU 
AND CHURCHES (UNION OF CHURCHES), LEAVING EACH MEMBER STATE 
FREE TO DEVELOP THE ISSUE AS IT DEEMS IT BEST FOR ITS OWN 
COUNTRY.  DEBATE ON THIS POINT WAS STRONGER OUTSIDE THE 
CONVENTION THAN DURING ITS SESSIONS, HE COMMENTED. 
 
8.  FINI REMARKED THAT THE CONVENTION WILL INEVITABLY 
TRANSMIT TO THE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE (IGC) A 
SERIES OF "DIVERGENT" OPTIONS.  HE AND FRATTINI STRESSED 
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THAT ITALY WILL REMAIN "OPEN AND FLEXIBLE."  THEY SAID IT 
WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT (IT IS ITS "RIGHT" AND ITS "DUTY," 
FINI SAID) TO HOLD -- AND CONCLUDE -- THE IGC DURING ITS EU 
PRESIDENCY JULY-DECEMBER 2003, IN ORDER TO SIGN THE NEW EU 
TREATY IN ROME.  IT IS A QUESTION OF "PRESTIGE" FOR ITALY - 
- THE TREATY CREATING THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY WAS 
SIGNED IN ROME IN 1957; THE TREATY CREATING THE NEW EUROPE 
OF 25 MUST BE SIGNED IN ROME IN 2003.  THE NEW EUROPE WILL 
THEN BE READY TO FUNCTION WITH ITS TEN NEW MEMBERS THAT 
WILL JOIN IT IN MAY 2004 AND BEFORE THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN THE SUMMER OF 2004. 
 
9.  IN CONCLUSION, AFTER THANKING EU CONVENTION VICE 
PRESIDENT GIULIANO AMATO FOR HIS WIDELY RECOGNIZED AND 
"VERY VALUABLE" WORK, FINI AND FRATTINI SAID THEY WILL 
RETURN TO PARLIAMENT OFTEN TO KEEP IT INFORMED OF THE 
CONVENTION'S PROGRESS AND TO SEEK ITS SUPPORT OF THE 
ITALIAN GOVERNMENT'S POSITIONS. 
 
SEMBLER 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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 2002ROME06062 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED