Thorn, Gaston.

English

Archive of European Integration

TALSMANDENS GRUPPE- SPRECHERGRUPPE- SPOKESMAN'S  GROUP- GROUPE  DU PORTE-PAROLE OMAM EKnPOLOrlOY TYnOY  - GRUPPO DEL PORTAVOCE  - BUREAU VAN  DE  WOORDVOERDER SEUL  LE  .•. .  '  ~ ; I  '  .J  --~  FAIT fa ES  Pft.IBSt~'"OJUl&l  MITUilUN~II  PRISSI· PRISS·RIUASI·.INFORMATIDN A  LA  PRISSI GIMiKhilulHfll~ ...  l ALIA STAMPA • MIDIDILING  AAN  01  PIRS  '1 ??--~~~=:~~~~g,15 February  1984 EJ't'BARGO:  15.2.84 at 1CXDlrs ADDRESSING  THE  EUROPEAN  PARLIAMENT  IN  STRASBOURG  ON  15  FEBRUARY  1984 COMMISSION  PRESIDENT  GASTON  THORN  CALLS  FOR  ACTION  TO  PULL  THE COMMUNITY  OUT  OF  CRISIS:  "THE  COMMUNITY  NEEDS  TO  BE  GOVERNED - THIS  IS  THE  CRUX  OF  THE  MATTER" Mr.  Gaston  E.  Thorn  President  of  the  Commission  of  the  European  Communities, presented  the  Commission's  programme  for  the  next  twelve  months  to  Parliament. The  Commission,  he  said,  was  determined  "to fight  to  the bitter end  to  imple-ment  its programme  and  put  through  the  proposals  that  give  it concrete  ex-pression".  · Mr.  Thorn  called for  a  proper  appreciation of  the difficulties of  these past  few  years  when  the, Community  had  managed  to preserve  the  achievements of  the  past  and  had  even  made  some  progress. However,  the  people of  Europe  have  many  grounds  for  disquiet,  if only  because of  the  unemployment  situation. Mr.  Thorn  was  concerned  by  the "inability to adapt"  and  to "take decisions" of  the  Community:  "Over  the  Last  three years  the  meetings  of  Heads  of  State and  Government  have  spent  more  time  on  budget  contributions  •••  than  on  the problems  of  relaunching  Europe". He  warned  that  failure  at  the  Brussels  European  Council  would  be  the beginning  of  "a  process  of  self-destruction"  which  would  sweep  away past  achievements.  He  announced  that  the  Commission  had  just  submitted a  proposal  to the  Council  on  tighter budgetary discipline and  would  s~ortly be finalizing  its position on  budget  contr1butions  and  future  financing of  the  enlarged  Community. "These  three  issues,  which  were  inextricably  Linked  with  agricultural  reform, were  the  Gordian  knot  that  the European  Council,  would  have  to  cut  if it was  to do  what  r~ally mattered  and  revitalize  Europe". In  the area  of  budget  management  we  have  our  backs  to the  wall,  said  Mr.  Thorn, who  made  it Clear  that if no  decisions  had  been  taken.by  the  Brussels  European Council  in  March,  to  ensure  the·financing-of.agdcultvral  e-xpenditure,<-.~ the  Commission  would  eventually  be  forced  to propose  appropriate action, however  harsh,  to  the  budgetary  authority. "In a  word,the  Community  needs  to  be  governed.  This  is the  crux  of  the matter", concluded  Mr.  Thorn,who  argued  forcefully  that  "decline  is not  inevitable" and he  called  upon  those  who  appreciated  how  much  was  at  stake to unite to push through  the  necessary  reforms  as  quickly  as  possible. -These  then  are  the main  points  of  Mr.  Thorn's  address. KOMMISSIONEN  FOR  DE  EUROPIEISKE  FIELLESSKABER - KOMMISSION  DER  EUROPAISCHEN  GEMEINSCHAFTEN  • /  •  • COMMISSION  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES  - COMMISSION  DES COMMUNAUTES EUROPEENNES - EniTPOnH  TON  EYPOnAIKON  KOINOTHTON COMMISSIONE  DELLE  COMUNITA EUROPEE  - COMMISSIE  VAN  DE  EUROPESE GEMEENSCHAPPEN ,.  •" -..  ·!.:,.:':'!> .  :r.  '/-·---------- ----~--- --- ~ ~·-- 2  -The  people  of  Europe  •••  grounds  for  disquiet Firstly,  Mr.  Thorn  payed  tribute to  the  work  achieve~.by the outgoing Parliament: "You  have  achieved  much,  your  actions  and  the  stances you  have  adopted,  do honour  to  Europe "  You  are not  to blame  for  the  Community's  shortcomings II "And  the  people  of  Europe  have  many  grounds  for  disquiet.  More  than  12 million people  in  Europe  are out  of  work  today,  twice  as  many  as  there were  on the day  you  were  first  elected.  Four  young  people  in  ten  have  no  job ••• '  I  .. The  Europeans  have  other worries.  The  threat  to their security has  intensified with  mounting  East-West  tension  and  the drastic  worsening  of  the situation in the  Middle  East." To  preserve the  achievements  of  the  past •••  This  concern  is  legitimate.  But,  in  a  difficult  period,  the  Community  has at  least  preserved the  achievements  of  the past  and  even  made  some  progress •• Indeed,  the  Community  has  managed to preserve the  common  market,  resisting  the  temptation to  resort  to protectionism  in the  face  of  growing  unemployment;  .  . -. to preserve the  framework  without  which  the  inevitab\e  restructuring of Europe's  major traditional industries  would  had  led  to  chaos; to maintain  a  united  front  towards  the outside  world,  particularly in defending  its trading  interests against  its main  competitors; to preserve the  common  agricultural  policy,  protecting  its own  farmers  far better  from  the  repercussions of  the  crisis than  have  other  OECD  countries, including  the  United  States; to  preserve the  zone  of  monetary  stability created  in  1979  by  the establishment of  the  EMS;  and to agree  on  a  common  fisheries  policy. The  need  to adapt "The  fact  that  we  have  come  through  a  difficult  period with  so  much  intact  is a  signal  success,  a  good  omen,  but  these modest  achievements  will  come  under threat if the  Community  persists  in  displaying  an  inability to adapt  to change and  face  up  to  the  new  challenges  posed  by  the  march  of  time •••  " !'.s  an  exa~le of this '~nability to  adapt  to present  needs"  Mr  Thorn  cites the CAP,  on  which  the  Commission  gave  its diagnosis  as  far  back  as  1980,  and  the difficulties  in the  fields  of  research  and  industrial  cooperation.  "But  years have  been  wasted  by  Member  Sates  promoting  national  champions  and  feeding intra-Community  rivalry  instead of  exploiting their  complementary  qualities to meet  outside  competition". .I  .• •,. - 3  -•••  the  need  to  decide •••  "Such  progress  as  has  been  achieved  has  been  cautious. This  slowness  to  act, this  reluctance  to adapt,  this dispersal  of  national  efforts  add  up  to  a  crying need  - the  need  for  government.  Europe  is  not  governed  at  the  moment.  The Commission  proposes,  Parliament  urges,  and  no-one  decides.  This  inability  to take  decisions,  or  at  any  rate  to  take  them  at  the  right  time,  is the  Community's worst  failing.  A good  decision  is  usually one  taken  when  circumstances call  for  action.  The  Council's  indecision has  too  often  condemned  the  Community to  doing  too  little,  too  Late. It  is  the  unanimity  rule  within  the  Council  which  has  upset  the  institutional balance  enshrined  in  the  Treaties,  blocked the  dynamism  of  the  Community  system and  ultimately  forced  the  Eu~opean Council  to  play  a  very different  role  from that  originally  intended •••  " After  stating  that  over  the  last  three  years  the  meetings  of  Heads  of  State  and Government  have  spent  more  time  on  budget  contributions  - which  merely  undermined mutual  confidence  - than  on  the  problems  of  relaunching  Europe,  reviving  its industry and  dealing  with  unemployment  and  stressing  that  "the  most  shocking  aspect is  the misuse  of these  summit  meetings".  The  President  said "this  inertia  and indecisiveness  cannot  go  on.  You  will  agree  with  me  that  failure  at  the Brussels  European  Council  would  be  the  beginning  of  a  process  of  self-destruction which  could  sweep  away  the  work  of  the  last  twenty-five years". The  reasons  to  hoee If  the  Brussels  European  Council  fails,  the  scene  would  be  set  for  a  political crisis  which  could  lead to  the  break-up  of  the  Community.  Mr  Thorn,  however, sees  reason  to  hope  for  the  success  of  the  European  Council. The  first  reason  is  "that  the  Heads  of  State  and  Government  are  not unaware  of the  extent  to  which  their divisions  are  endangering  the  Community.  The  political parties  and  opinion  Leaders  are  aware  of  it  too" ••• "Another  important  reason  to  hope  for  the  success  of  the  next  European  Council  is the  personal  commitment  of  the  President  of  France.  He  is putting  his  personal prestige  and  the  full  weight  of  his office at  the  service of  the  Community, giving  unstintingly of  his  time  and  energy  to  reconcile points  of  view  so  that the  Brussels  European  Council  can  cut  the  Gordian  knot  of  the  past,  and  Lay ambitious  plans  for  a  revitalized Community  of  the  future". Mr  Thorn  also  remarked  :  "something  has  been  learnt  from  the  Athens  debacle.  The Council  has  responded  to  the  Commission's  pleas to  return  to  the  Treaty  and Community  procedures.  I  would  like  to  think  that  this  is  not  just  lip-service, that  the  Council  is  at  last  shouldering  its responsibilities;  this  should  make  the European  Council1s  task  easier". Cutting  the  Gordian  knot "Even  reduced  to  essentials, that  task is  daunting.  It may  well  prove  too  much unless  progress  is  made  by  15  March  towards  agreement  on  agricultural  reform, which  in  turn  is  a  prerequisite  for  agreement  on  the  basic  features  of  a  new financing  system,  namely  : tighter  budgetary  discipline; solutions  to  the  budget  contributions  problem; financing  the  Community  of  Twelve. . I .. - 4  -These  three  issues,  inextricably  linked  as  they  are  with  reform  of  the  common agricultural  policy,  form  the  Gordian  knot  which  the  European  Council  must  cut if it is  to  do  what  really matters  and  revitalize  Europe". A blueprint  for  revitalizing the  Community "Reform  has  to  be  matched  by  a  blueprint  for  revitalizing  the  Community  to  which the B"ussels  European  Council  must  give  its blessing.  It  must  draw  up  the guidelines  for  the  Community's  future. We  must  : provide  European  agriculture  with  new  horizons,  going  beyond  long-overdue reform; organize  joint  action to  restore  Europe's  status as  an  industrial  and technological  power; provide  the  instruments  for  economic  and  social  convergence  so  that  we  can joing  forces  to  fight  the  unemployment  which  is  undermining  our  societies; find  better  ways  and  means  of  working  together  to  develop  the  less  prosperous regions  of  the  Community; affirm  Europe's  role  in  the  world  and,  if necessary,  assume  responsibility for directing  international  efforts to  combat  under-development  and  hunger". What  sort of  Community  do  we  want? --------------------------------"If  the  Brussels  European  Council  fails,  it will  be  clearer  than  ever before that  we  have  been  treating the  symptoms,  not  the  disease.  We will  have  to  address  the  basic  questions  which  nobody  even  dared  to ask  before  the first  enlargement: What  sort  of  Community  do  we  want?  How  far  are  we  prepared  to follow  the  logic  of  the  Treaties? ••• The  European  venture  does  not  stop  with  the  creation of  an  economic area,  with  a  single market,  a  common  customs  tariff  and  a  common agricultural  policy. The  Treaty  of .Rome  had  much  more  in  mind.  Its  primary  objective, from  which  the  rest  follows,  is "to  lay  the  foundations  of  an  ever closer  union  among  the  peoples  of  Europe." For  a  real  reform  of  the  institutional  system ----------------------------------------------"We  cannot  go  on  pretending  to discover  the  instituti~nal pr,oblem each  time  new  members  join and  then  concentrate_on_the  ar1thm~tlc­the  size of  the  new  Commission  for  example.  As  1f  1t  mattered. what  is  important  is that  the  Community  as  such  should_be  able· to embark  on  the  implementation  of  programmes  and  schemes.ln  the  common interest,  selected and  approved  in  an  efficient, democratlc  manner. Io  a  word,  the  Community  needs  to  be  governed.  This  is  the  crux  of the  matter. ·  t  k  st  unite  to  push  Those  of  us  who  appreciate  how  much  1s  a~ s  ~  e  mu through  the  necessary  re!orms  as  quickly  as  poss1ble. . I .. ~~~- --~~-----------~------·-- 5  -Budget:  our  backs  to  the  wall .•.  "In  the  area  of  budget  management  we  have  our  backs  to  the  wall  and  little room  for  manoeuvre.  Clearly,  if  no  decisions  have  been  taken  to  ensure the  financing  of  agricultural  expenditure,  at  the  latest  at  the  March  European Council,  the  Commission  will  eventually  be  forced  to  propose  appropriate action,  however  harsh,  to  the  budgetary  authority." No  to decline To  conclude:  "the  people  of  Europe  with  their history,  culture,  learning and  institutions  to  support  them,  the  people  of  Europe  are still perfectly capable of  meeting  the  challenges  of  the crisis, outside  competition,  and an  uncertain  world.  But  they  need  to tap their  intrinsic vitality,  pool  their efforts,  and  create institutions that  match  their aspirations.  Decline is  not  inevitable". 

The Community needs to be governed - this is the crux of the matter. Summary of the address by Commission President Gaston Thorn to the European Parliament. Strasbourg, 15 February 1984

TALSMANDENS GRUPPE- SPRECHERGRUPPE- SPOKESMAN'S GROUP- GROUPE DU PORTE-PAROLE 
OMAM EKnPOLOrlOY TYnOY - GRUPPO DEL PORTAVOCE - BUREAU VAN DE WOORDVOERDER 
SEUL LE .•. . ' ~ ; I ' .J --~ FAIT fa 
ES Pft.IBSt~'"OJUl&l MITUilUN~II PRISSI· PRISS·RIUASI·.INFORMATIDN A LA PRISSI GIMiKhilulHfll~ ... l ALIA STAMPA • MIDIDILING AAN 01 PIRS '1 ??--
~~~=:~~~~g,15 February 1984 
EJ't'BARGO: 15.2.84 at 1CXDlrs 
ADDRESSING THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT IN STRASBOURG ON 15 FEBRUARY 1984 
COMMISSION PRESIDENT GASTON THORN CALLS FOR ACTION TO PULL THE 
COMMUNITY OUT OF CRISIS: "THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BE GOVERNED 
- THIS IS THE CRUX OF THE MATTER" 
Mr. Gaston E. Thorn President of the Commission of the European Communities, 
presented the Commission's programme for the next twelve months to Parliament. 
The Commission, he said, was determined "to fight to the bitter end to imple-
ment its programme and put through the proposals that give it concrete ex-
pression". · 
Mr. Thorn called for a proper appreciation of the difficulties of these 
past few years when the, Community had managed to preserve the achievements 
of the past and had even made some progress. 
However, the people of Europe have many grounds for disquiet, if only because 
of the unemployment situation. 
Mr. Thorn was concerned by the "inability to adapt" and to "take decisions" 
of the Community: "Over the Last three years the meetings of Heads of State 
and Government have spent more time on budget contributions ••• than on the 
problems of relaunching Europe". 
He warned that failure at the Brussels European Council would be the 
beginning of "a process of self-destruction" which would sweep away 
past achievements. He announced that the Commission had just submitted 
a proposal to the Council on tighter budgetary discipline and would s~ortly be 
finalizing its position on budget contr1butions and future financing 
of the enlarged Community. 
"These three issues, which were inextricably Linked with agricultural reform, 
were the Gordian knot that the European Council, would have to cut if it was to 
do what r~ally mattered and revitalize Europe". 
In the area of budget management we have our backs to the wall, said Mr. Thorn, 
who made it Clear that if no decisions had been taken.by the Brussels European 
Council in March, to ensure the·financing-of.agdcultvral e-xpenditure,<-.~ 
the Commission would eventually be forced to propose appropriate action, 
however harsh, to the budgetary authority. 
"In a word,the Community needs to be governed. This is the crux of the matter", 
concluded Mr. Thorn,who argued forcefully that "decline is not inevitable" and 
he called upon those who appreciated how much was at stake to unite to push 
through the necessary reforms as quickly as possible. 
-These then are the main points of Mr. Thorn's address. 
KOMMISSIONEN FOR DE EUROPIEISKE FIELLESSKABER - KOMMISSION DER EUROPAISCHEN GEMEINSCHAFTEN • / • • 
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES - COMMISSION DES COMMUNAUTES EUROPEENNES - EniTPOnH TON EYPOnAIKON KOINOTHTON 
COMMISSIONE DELLE COMUNITA EUROPEE - COMMISSIE VAN DE EUROPESE GEMEENSCHAPPEN 
,. •" 
-.. ·!.:,.:':'!> 
. :r. '/-
·---------- --- -~--- --- ~ ~·-
- 2 -
The people of Europe ••• grounds for disquiet 
Firstly, Mr. Thorn payed tribute to the work achieve~.by the outgoing 
Parliament: 
"You have achieved much, your actions and the stances you have adopted, do 
honour to Europe 
" 
You are not to blame for the Community's shortcomings II 
"And the people of Europe have many grounds for disquiet. More than 12 
million people in Europe are out of work today, twice as many as there were on 
the day you were first elected. Four young people in ten have no job ••• 
' I 
.. 
The Europeans have other worries. The threat to their security has intensified 
with mounting East-West tension and the drastic worsening of the situation 
in the Middle East." 
To preserve the achievements of the past 
••• This concern is legitimate. But, in a difficult period, the Community has 
at least preserved the achievements of the past and even made some progress •• 
Indeed, the Community has managed 
to preserve the common market, resisting the temptation to resort to 
protectionism in the face of growing unemployment; 
. . 
- . 
to preserve the framework without which the inevitab\e restructuring of 
Europe's major traditional industries would had led to chaos; 
to maintain a united front towards the outside world, particularly in 
defending its trading interests against its main competitors; 
to preserve the common agricultural policy, protecting its own farmers far 
better from the repercussions of the crisis than have other OECD countries, 
including the United States; 
to preserve the zone of monetary stability created in 1979 by the establishment 
of the EMS; and 
to agree on a common fisheries policy. 
The need to adapt 
"The fact that we have come through a difficult period with so much intact is 
a signal success, a good omen, but these modest achievements will come under 
threat if the Community persists in displaying an inability to adapt to change 
and face up to the new challenges posed by the march of time ••• " 
!'.s an exa~le of this '~nability to adapt to present needs" Mr Thorn cites the 
CAP, on which the Commission gave its diagnosis as far back as 1980, and the 
difficulties in the fields of research and industrial cooperation. "But years 
have been wasted by Member Sates promoting national champions and feeding 
intra-Community rivalry instead of exploiting their complementary qualities to 
meet outside competition". 
.I .• 
•,. 
- 3 -
••• the need to decide 
••• "Such progress as has been achieved has been cautious. This slowness to act, 
this reluctance to adapt, this dispersal of national efforts add up to a crying 
need - the need for government. Europe is not governed at the moment. The 
Commission proposes, Parliament urges, and no-one decides. This inability to 
take decisions, or at any rate to take them at the right time, is the Community's 
worst failing. A good decision is usually one taken when circumstances 
call for action. The Council's indecision has too often condemned the Community 
to doing too little, too Late. 
It is the unanimity rule within the Council which has upset the institutional 
balance enshrined in the Treaties, blocked the dynamism of the Community system 
and ultimately forced the Eu~opean Council to play a very different role from 
that originally intended ••• " 
After stating that over the last three years the meetings of Heads of State and 
Government have spent more time on budget contributions - which merely undermined 
mutual confidence - than on the problems of relaunching Europe, reviving its 
industry and dealing with unemployment and stressing that "the most shocking aspect 
is the misuse of these summit meetings". The President said "this inertia and 
indecisiveness cannot go on. You will agree with me that failure at the 
Brussels European Council would be the beginning of a process of self-destruction 
which could sweep away the work of the last twenty-five years". 
The reasons to hoee 
If the Brussels European Council fails, the scene would be set for a political 
crisis which could lead to the break-up of the Community. Mr Thorn, however, 
sees reason to hope for the success of the European Council. 
The first reason is "that the Heads of State and Government are not unaware of 
the extent to which their divisions are endangering the Community. The political 
parties and opinion Leaders are aware of it too" ••• 
"Another important reason to hope for the success of the next European Council is 
the personal commitment of the President of France. He is putting his personal 
prestige and the full weight of his office at the service of the Community, 
giving unstintingly of his time and energy to reconcile points of view so that 
the Brussels European Council can cut the Gordian knot of the past, and Lay 
ambitious plans for a revitalized Community of the future". 
Mr Thorn also remarked : "something has been learnt from the Athens debacle. The 
Council has responded to the Commission's pleas to return to the Treaty and 
Community procedures. I would like to think that this is not just lip-service, 
that the Council is at last shouldering its responsibilities; this should make the 
European Council 1 s task easier". 
Cutting the Gordian knot 
"Even reduced to essentials, that task is daunting. It may well prove too much 
unless progress is made by 15 March towards agreement on agricultural reform, 
which in turn is a prerequisite for agreement on the basic features of a new 
financing system, namely : 
tighter budgetary discipline; 
solutions to the budget contributions problem; 
financing the Community of Twelve. 
. I .. 
- 4 -
These three issues, inextricably linked as they are with reform of the common 
agricultural policy, form the Gordian knot which the European Council must cut 
if it is to do what really matters and revitalize Europe". 
A blueprint for revitalizing the Community 
"Reform has to be matched by a blueprint for revitalizing the Community to which 
the B"ussels European Council must give its blessing. It must draw up the 
guidelines for the Community's future. 
We must : 
provide European agriculture with new horizons, going beyond long-overdue 
reform; 
organize joint action to restore Europe's status as an industrial and 
technological power; 
provide the instruments for economic and social convergence so that we can 
joing forces to fight the unemployment which is undermining our societies; 
find better ways and means of working together to develop the less prosperous 
regions of the Community; 
affirm Europe's role in the world and, if necessary, assume responsibility for 
directing international efforts to combat under-development and hunger". 
What sort of Community do we want? 
--------------------------------
"If the Brussels European Council fails, it will be clearer than ever 
before that we have been treating the symptoms, not the disease. We 
will have to address the basic questions which nobody even dared to 
ask before the first enlargement: 
What sort of Community do we want? How far are we prepared to 
follow the logic of the Treaties? ••• 
The European venture does not stop with the creation of an economic 
area, with a single market, a common customs tariff and a common 
agricultural policy. 
The Treaty of .Rome had much more in mind. Its primary objective, 
from which the rest follows, is "to lay the foundations of an ever 
closer union among the peoples of Europe." 
For a real reform of the institutional system 
----------------------------------------------
"We cannot go on pretending to discover the instituti~nal pr,oblem 
each time new members join and then concentrate_on_the ar1thm~tlc­
the size of the new Commission for example. As 1f 1t mattered. 
what is important is that the Community as such should_be able· 
to embark on the implementation of programmes and schemes.ln the common 
interest, selected and approved in an efficient, democratlc manner. 
Io a word, the Community needs to be governed. This is the crux of 
the matter. 
· t k st unite to push Those of us who appreciate how much 1s a~ s ~ e mu 
through the necessary re!orms as quickly as poss1ble. 
. I .. 
~~~- --~~-----------~------·-
- 5 -
Budget: our backs to the wall 
.•. "In the area of budget management we have our backs to the wall and little 
room for manoeuvre. Clearly, if no decisions have been taken to ensure 
the financing of agricultural expenditure, at the latest at the March European 
Council, the Commission will eventually be forced to propose appropriate 
action, however harsh, to the budgetary authority." 
No to decline 
To conclude: "the people of Europe with their history, culture, learning 
and institutions to support them, the people of Europe are still perfectly 
capable of meeting the challenges of the crisis, outside competition, and 
an uncertain world. But they need to tap their intrinsic vitality, pool their 
efforts, and create institutions that match their aspirations. Decline 
is not inevitable". 


The Community needs to be governed - this is the crux of the matter. Summary of the address by Commission President Gaston Thorn to the European Parliament. Strasbourg, 15 February 1984

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Archive of European Integration

Archive of European Integration