EU at 50 - Europe needs a new Big Idea at its heart, says Green MEP
15 March 2007
THE European Union needs a new Big Idea at its heart in order to reconnectwith its half a billion citizens - and meet the real security threats of the21st Century - according to Green Party Euro-MP Caroline Lucas.
The EU celebrates its 50th birthday next week, and the occasion will bemarked with the publication of an official declaration of the EU's valuesand aspirations to be signed by the leaders of all 27 EU countries at a'birthday summit' in Berlin on March 25th.
In an 'Alternative Berlin Declaration' to be published on the same day, DrLucas is calling for radical reform of the EU, replacing its aim ofever-more free trade and competition with the objective of sustainability,and making its work more democratic and accountable to voters.
"The EU is remote from Europe's citizens, who are rightly mistrustful of itslack of democracy, links with big business and obsession with enhancing freetrade and competitiveness," said Dr Lucas.
"Europe needs a new big idea at its heart - and radical reform of its opaqueand dated institutions if it to deliver an EU in tune with people's wishesand aspirations for the 21st Century."
This Alternative Berlin Declaration looks at the record of the first 50years of the European Union, and sets out why it is impossible for the EU togenuinely promote greater social justice and environmental sustainabilitywhilst simultaneously prioritising international competitiveness and maximumeconomic growth. It then explores why a new direction for Europe needs tobe based on a new goal of maximising self-reliance through strengtheningdemocratic structures at all levels, and through a process of economiclocalisation. Finally it illustrates how the Treaty of Rome could berewritten to further such an approach.
She added: "The EU has enormous potential to spread peace, freedom andsecurity in and around Europe, and to promote and protect democracy andhuman rights at home and throughout the world. It has the potential to be apioneer in the transition to low carbon economies, and in living morelightly on the planet.
"But to fully achieve this potential, it has to change direction, and to putdemocracy and sustainability - rather than trade liberalisation and thesingle market - at the heart of its objectives.
"We need a strong EU - but one that is democratically accountable andfocused on tackling the challenges that Europe's citizens care about most:climate change, social injustice, conflict, resource depletion and fracturedlocal communities."
ENDS
Note to Editors:
The Alternative Berlin Declaration will be available atwww.carolinelucasmep.org.uk from March 25th. For advance media copiescontact Ben Duncan.
