The priority for the Convention on the EU future should be to produce a European constitution as a social Treaty which gives a place to the European social model in the Treaties, according to former French minister for social affairs Martine Aubry.
Speaking at a conference on the future of Europe organised by the European Socialists in Brussels, Ms Aubry, a close collaborator to French prime minister Lionel Jospin, also added that the social policy is the condition for economic progress. The leader of the European socialists in the European Parliament, Enrique Baron Crespo, told EUobserver that a Social Treaty can be created through the incorporation in a future constitution of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, endorsed by the Nice Summit in 2000, and of the Social Charter.
Ms Aubry insisted that the debate on the EU future should tackle with priority the deepening of the integration between the present members of the European Union, and only then consider the needs of an enlarged Europe: "we must make sure that the founding and present members of the European Union advance, and only then speak about the way of functioning with 25 or 30 members," Mr Aubry said.
Socialists at listening phase The European Socialists on Monday kicked off a two-days conference on the future of Europe, "European socialists listening to you" with the aim of discussing issues of importance for the debate launched by the Convention on the EU future.
The conference aims at integrating the European citizens in the debate: "We are also at a phase of listening to citizens, like the members of the Convention," the chairman of the European Socialists Enrique Baron Crespo told EUobserver.
Mr Baron Crespo welcomed that through the debate on the EU future, in the framework of the Convention, all relevant EU policies can be discussed, along with institutional questions. "We therefore decided to tackle during this conference on the EU future issues of interest for citizens like sustainable development, employment and welfare and security in a globalised world: all that is part of the future of Europe debate," Mr Baron Crespo added.
Globalised world The conference focussed on Monday on questions related to social policies, structural reforms in the Union in order to get a better balance between economic and social policy and monetary policy, and sustainable development. On Tuesday, the participants in the conference will discuss about security in a globalised world and EU's role in the world with participation of former British foreign affairs minister Robin Cook, with the EU special representative for the Peace Process in the Middle East Miguel Angel Moratinos and with Susan George, vice-president of ATTAC France, anti-globalisation movement.
The conference will on Tuesday present a scenario for the EU future, called "Which Europe for our citizens in 2010?" and will launch an appeal to the Convention on the EU future.
Written by Daniela Spinant Edited by Lisbeth Kirk