Meeting of Secretary of State for European Affairs Olivier Chastel with the European Parliament's Constitutional Affairs Committee
For Olivier Chastel, the citizens’ initiative is one of the most practical aspects of the Lisbon Treaty for building bridges between the EU and its citizens.
Secretary of State for European Affairs, Olivier Chastel, today held an exchange of views with the AFCO (Constitutional Affairs) Committee of the European Parliament on the Belgian Programme for the Presidency of the European Union. "This is the fourth time that we have met and therefore we know the basic principles", Olivier Chastel began by saying to the European representatives. Olivier Chastel wanted to debate three issues that are also of interest to the AFCO Committee.
The first relates to implementation of the Lisbon Treaty. Work continues on setting up the European External Action Service (EEAS): the Staff and Financial Regulations still need to be amended but the EEAS must also be given the necessary operating resources. "We continue to count on a constructive contribution by the European Parliament to this matter", Olivier Chastel said. In addition, the building of bridges between the European structure and citizens continues to be a Belgian ambition. During the preparations for the Belgian Presidency, the Secretary of State had always ensured that civic society was involved. "The citizens’ initiative is a major step forward for democracy in the Union and will help to bring the EU and its citizens closer together. Consequently, first and foremost, broader debate must be encouraged across borders", Olivier Chastel declared.
Accession to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is also a priority goal. On budget issues, the Belgian Presidency will ensure that the annual budget procedure in the Council and Parliament runs smoothly so that a result that is satisfactory to everyone concerned can be achieved during the negotiations in November.
The second issue dealt with was the agreement between the European Parliament and European Commission. According to Olivier Chastel, these agreements must not, under any circumstances, alter the balance between the European institutions. "The Belgian Presidency will look for dialogue and endeavour to ensure constructive cooperation between the Parliament and Council", he added.
Concerning the change to the election procedure for European elections, the Belgian Presidency will certainly be putting this matter on the agenda if the European Parliament puts an initiative to the Council.
The Belgian Presidency is counting on the cooperation of the European Parliament in examining and drawing up updates to the Lisbon Treaty to ensure that the Union’s decisions are more effective and consistent. "We must do everything to subordinate our national interests so that all citizens can identify with our European institutions", Olivier Chastel concluded.
