2 textos de apoio para o debate do dia 23 de Maio

Nationalism and centre formation in an enlarged Europe
Madalena Meyer Resende
Working Paper n.º 15, IPRI – UNL
In http://www.ipri.pt/publicacoes/working_paper/pdf/WP_MR_171006.pdf

Abstract

In line with recent studies, this paper argues that a party’s attitude towards the European Union (EU) derives from its main ideological goal, which is primarily of a domestic character. The EU is evaluated on whether it contributes to achieve the party’s main objective in domestic terms. For example, social democrats evaluate integration on its impact on the redistributive economic regime, nationalists on the impact on the sovereignty of the national political community. The paper then investigates how enlargement changed the composition of the centre of European party systems and argues that the decline of Christian democracy and the rise of nationalism after enlargement makes opposition to political supranationalism a characteristic of the centre-right, while in the centre-left social democrats, from East and West, have adopted a pro-European attitude.



Speech by Peter Mandelson, EU Trade Commissioner, Conference in Bologna: The future relationship between Russia and the European Union: Which kind of opportunities for the Italian economy?, (SPEECH/07/242), 20 April 2007.

In http://www.delrus.cec.eu.int/en/news_896.htm

Abstract

In this speech to a conference in Bologna, Italy, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson argues that the EU-Russia relationship contains a "level of misunderstanding or even mistrust we have not seen since the end of the Cold War".
Citing Europe’s role in debates about political culture in Russia, its engagement with countries of the former Soviet Union, Russia’s WTO accession and energy issues Mandelson warns: "unless we comprehend our different perceptions of what has happened since the end of the Soviet Union we risk getting the EU-Russia relationship badly wrong".
Mandelson calls on European Member States to show greater unity in dealing with Russia. Mandelson will say that the incoherence of European policy towards Russia over much of the past decade has been "frankly alarming...no other country reveals our differences as does Russia".

2 textos de apoio para o debate do dia 16 de Maio

O Impacto da Europeização no Parlamento
Maria Teresa Paulo com Cristina Leston-Bandeira
Working Paper n.º 21, IPRI - UNL

In http://www.ipri.pt/publicacoes/working_paper/pdf/Parlamento.pdf

Abstract
O presente artigo procura analisar o impacto da nova fonte de poder – europeia – nas mudanças operadas na Assembleia da República (AR) e nas suas relações interinstitucionais, como forma de compensação pela transferência de poderes legislativos e pela adaptação a um novo contexto de decisão política.
Considera-se que os resultados negativos dos referendos holandês e francês ao Tratado Constitucional, no Verão de 2005, contribuíram para aumentar a visibilidade do papel dos Parlamentos Nacionais (PN) em matéria europeia, simultaneamente, como uma via para o aumento da transparência, da legitimidade e da credibilidade do processo decisório europeu e como solução para a aproximação da Europa aos cidadãos por intermédio dos seus representantes mais directos: os deputados nacionais.
Apesar de no Parlamento português o escrutínio da actividade legislativa do Governo em ambiente europeu tender a não ser sistemático, tanto o enquadramento normativo, como a prática parlamentar têm procurado reagir às exigências do novo contexto europeu. O artigo tenciona igualmente problematizar as circunstâncias que moldam a resposta da AR às crescentes pressões europeias e dar nota de algumas iniciativas que o Parlamento tem desenvolvido com vista a melhorar o seu desempenho, como é o caso da recente aprovação da Lei 43/2006, de 25 de Agosto, que aposta em práticas concretas de melhoria do escrutínio parlamentar em matéria europeia.


Seventh bi-annual report: Developments in European Union Procedures and Practices Relevant to Parliamentary Scrutiny
In www.cosac.eu/en/meetings/Berlin2007/plenary/cosac7.pdf

Preparar especialmente os capítulos 1 e 2

Summary

·Almost all national parliaments reported that the subsidiarity and proportionality checks initiated by COSAC brought added value to the way they treat EU affairs. The overwhelming majority would welcome continuation of two checks per year.
· The selection mechanism should be similar to the one chosen for the first two subsidiarity and proportionality checks. Accordingly, the selection should be based on the European Commission's Legislative and Work Programme. Since the LWP for 2008 will most probably be published after the COSAC Conference in Lisbon, the decision whether and how to proceed should be combined with clear procedural arrangements.
· A large majority of parliaments consider that some form of further clarification of the interpretation and application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality is needed. Incoming presidencies could consider holding a discussion of subsidiarity and proportionality during one of the next COSAC meetings, aiming at a better understanding of the two principles on the one hand, and the procedure to be followed between the national parliaments and the European Institutions on the other.
· The new mechanism through which the Commission transmits all new proposals and consultation papers directly to national parliaments and responds to the comments it receives from them is perceived by a significant number of parliaments to bring added value, either by creating a specific framework for a dialogue with the Commission, or by influencing the way EU Affairs are dealt with.
· According to the information available, approximately 85 opinions were sent by parliaments to the Commission since 1 September 2006. The Commission has given 39 formal replies to those comments,
· Parliaments should be encouraged to make more intensive use of the interparliamentary information exchange website IPEX, and, most importantly, upload short summaries of their relevant findings in English and/or French.
· To date, 18 of the 27 Member States have ratified the Constitutional Treaty at least as far as the parliamentary stage is concerned; two of them after a positive referendum. In France and the Netherlands referenda had a negative outcome. The Czech Republic,Denmark, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and the United Kingdom have not ratified the Treaty. The debate on how to proceed with the Constitutional Treaty will enter into a decisive phase with the report by the German presidency to the June European Council.
· Climate Change has risen to a major public concern in Europe. The EU is determined to take a leading role in the fight against climate change especially with regard to the negotiations of an international climate regime that will succeed the Kyoto Protocol. At the European Spring Council 2007, an agreement on the EU's first comprehensive policy in the field of climate protection and energy was reached. The EU committed to a 20% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and expressed its willingness to rise this goal to 30% if other developed countries followed. The agreement is hoped to have a positive impact on the negotiations of an international post-Kyoto agreement.

Ciclo de Debates

Dia 16 de Maio de 2007, às 18H

Haverá Futuro da Europa sem Parlamentos Nacionais?

Debate com:

Maria Teresa Paulo – Assessora da Comissão de Assuntos Europeus da Assembleia da República
e
Bruno Dias Pinheiro – Assessor da Comissão de Assuntos Europeus da Assembleia da República, actualmente o Representante da AR na 'troika' presidencial do Secretariado da COSAC no Parlamento Europeu em Bruxelas


Dia 23 de Maio de 2007, às 18H

A especificidade da “outra Europa”

Debate com:

Alexandra Sá Carvalho – Comissão Europeia, actualmente com funções na Representação da Comissão Europeia em Portugal
e
Madalena Resende – Investigadora do Instituto Português de Relações Internacionais da Universidade Nova de Lisboa


Dia 30 de Maio de 2007, às 18H

Os 50 Anos dos Tratados de Roma: balanço e perspectivas

Debate com:

Carlos Botelho Moniz – Advogado, especialista em direito comunitário