Hard on the heels of Mr Lionel Jospin's ambitious proposals for a more integrated European Union, the president of the Commission, Mr Romano Prodi, yesterday set out his ideas for its future. Both men emphasised the time has come for a more political vision and definition of the EU as it is about to enlarge. As Mr Jospin put it, "Europe is first and foremost a political undertaking". That reality should be taken fully into account in the final stages of the debate in Ireland on the Treaty of Nice, prior to next week's referendum.
Mr Prodi insists that the "pre-political era" of the EU is over. The old method of incremental growth of more integrated policies guided by political and bureaucratic elites should give way to a more political vision of the EU's purpose and activities, with a greater involvement of its citizens. Only that will allow it to fulfill its role as a continental power capable of action in world affairs. He relates that political capacity to security and defence, asking whether citizens of its member-states would be prepared to die for common EU objectives.
This is a provocative speech, in line with several others Mr Prodi has made this year as part of his contribution to the debate on Europe's future. Not surprisingly, he seeks an enhanced role for the European Commission. Administering and overseeing the euro and common security policies would be made more coherent if it has a greater involvement, he argues. His case should be evaluated in the light of the substitution of the rule of law for the crude power systems characteristic of European inter-state relations before the EEC was founded in the 1950s.
Within this framework the European Commission has played an indispensable role as guardian of the treaties and guarantor of small state interests. In the debate on the EU's future, some voices seek to change that role. Mr Jospin's emphasis on inter-governmental methods is fully in keeping with traditional French views; Mr Prodi provides an important corrective. Irish voters who recognise the value of the Commission should take this into account in assessing Mr Prodi's proposals.
He looks favourably on the recent Belgian suggestion that a new taxation system should be considered to pay for EU enlargement and the new common activities that will be required. Those who welcome EU enlargement must be prepared to consider how best to fund it.
Its promise and potential will otherwise not be realised. The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, yesterday rejected suggestions that Mr Jospin was referring to Ireland when he criticised "tax dumping" among EU member states and rejected Mr Jospin's call for the ultimate harmonisation of corporate taxation.
In this dispute the Commission appears to have accepted that the Nice Treaty has definitely ruled out such a policy. This was made clear in Dublin yesterday by the Commissioner responsible, Mr Frits Bolkestein.