25 - 31 May 2000

Arnold Cassola meets Belgian minister

Dr Arnold Cassola, Alternattiva Demokratika spokesman on EU affairs and secretary general of the European Federation of Green Parties, recently met Eddy Boutmans, Belgian Minister of State at the Ministry for Development Cooperation in Brussels. Mr Boutmans is also the permanent representative of the Belgian government at the ongoing intergovernmental conference, which is preparing the reforms of the European Union.

Dr Cassola, who was heading a delegation of European Greens, said that the Greens are quite worried at the fact that the negotiations on the new EU treaty are being held among governments, with little transparency vis-a-vis the democratically elected Parliaments and civil society. He also expressed the concern of the European Greens that the representatives of the EU candidate countries are not actively involved in the process.

Minister Boutmans shared this concern with Dr Cassola and stated that he would be doing his best to ensure that Green principles were respected in the drawing up of the new treaty. For Belgium, reforming the institutions of the EU could mean a better management of environmental and fiscal matters in the European Union. Minister Boutmans also insisted that Belgium, as a small country, would ensure that the rights of small countries were maintained and enhanced. For example, Belgium was not prepared to give up the right of all countries to use their languages and restricting the use only to some major languages. Finally, the two discussed the Belgian EU Presidency, which will start in July 2001. It is expected that negotiations with the first countries to enter the European Union should be finalised in December 2001, under the Belgian presidency.