Call for member States to Support Draft Charter

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PRESS RELEASE

Embargo: Immediate, Wednesday 13th September 2000

CALL FOR MEMBER STATES TO SUPPORT DRAFT CHARTER: "A NEW EUROPEAN CONSENSUS IS NOW POSSIBLE"

Andrew Duff MEP, today gave a warm welcome to the Commission's statement of today on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. He said:

"The Commission has now positioned itself alongside the European Parliament in the forefront of the struggle to toughen human rights protection at the EU level. "In supporting the draft Charter, Mr Prodi and his colleagues have asserted their political role and added their weight to those who are fighting to strengthen the social and democratic legitimacy of the Union.

"Two of the four parties to the Convention have declared themselves to be in favour of the emerging draft Charter. It is now up to member states and their parliaments to make their own position clear.

"The emerging draft strikes a good balance between contrasting political tendencies. It describes very well the powers of the European Union in relation to the individual. And it draws equally on the general principles of EU law and the constitutional traditions of member states.

"There is still room for strengthening the Charter in a number of areas, including:

the preamble

minority rights (Article 21)

information and consultation of workers (Article 25)

the right to strike (Article 26)

environmental policy (Article 35)

democratic government (Article 39)

access to documents (Article 40)

Mr Duff, who is co-rapporteur of the European Parliament on the Charter and one of the Parliament's representatives in the Convention, referred to the resolution of the Parliament of 16 March 2000 (which was passed by a large majority of 344 votes to 107):

"In my estimation, most of the Parliament's demands concerning the substance of the Charter - and all the essential ones - have been met.

"There remain important questions ahead, however, not least the Charter's place in the Treaty of Nice. But the heads of government at Biarritz should be able to add the Charter to the agenda of the IGC without hesitation.

"Even the most hostile of prime ministers will find it very difficult to argue that the Charter is not worth inclusion in the Treaty reform negotiations.

"A new European consensus is forming on fundamental rights. The proposed Charter will articulate this for the benefit of the citizens and states of all Europe."

ENDS.

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