The European Summit last week will be remembered for the fastest agreements on three major issues ever announced on time as the EU leaders called it an “historic summit.” There were congratulations galore as the president of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, along with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, representing the outgoing French EU presidency praised each other on stage for making a success of French Presidency with “historic agreements” on three crucial issues - economic recovery, climate change, and the EU’s constitutional Lisbon Treaty.

BARROSO PACKAGE

Sarkozy addressed the EU stimulus package as the Barroso Package after the leaders committed themselves to spending the equivalent of 1.5 percent of the bloc’s gross domestic product (GDP,) or around 200 billion Euro (USD 260 billion,) to stimulate demand among consumers. Most of the member states, especially Central and East European states, got considerable respite on how to act on this promise with new funds not coming from all these member states. Both Sarkozy and Barroso stressed that the short-term measures to boost growth and economy must not overshadow the long-term measures. Commenting on EU budget rules under the Stability and Growth Pact, Sarkozy told journalists: “We need the pact.
The pact must be fully applied once the crisis is behind us ... in an exceptional situation, you need exceptional me a sures in a crisis.” On the question of reduced rate of value-added tax, Sarkozy said, “The decision will be taken before the end of March.” Highlighting that President Barroso is the fastest thinker and responder in the Commission, French President said, “(We) need more powers for the president of the Commission.” Sarkozy disclosed that for the unspent five billion EU budget money, Barroso had been ”asked to submit detailed proposals.” Barroso told journalists: “Before this council, I told you that it was probably (going to be) the most important European Council in which I have participated as president of the European Commi ssion,” adding, “indeed, it was.” On the financial crisis, Barroso said, “I believe this crisis is serious ... but Europe can emerge stronger.”

LISBON TREATY

There was no panic about the so-called stalled Europe as projected earlier due to a No in the Irish Referendum with the 27 EU leaders agreeing on the list of demands made by Irish leadership, in exchange for a promise by Dublin to hold another referendum on the bloc’s constitutional treaty sometime next year. “The Irish government is committed to seeking ratification of the Lisbon Treaty by the end of the term of the current (European) Commission,” in November 2009, stated the document agreed by the 27 EU leaders.

At a later talk with the journalists, Irish Taoisheach (Prime Minister) Brian Cowen confirmed it, saying: ”On the basis of the agreement today, and on condition of our being able to satisfactory put guarantees in place ... I would be prepared to return to the public to put to them a new package and to seek their approval of it.” He did stress, however, that there was still “a lot of detailed work to be carried out in the months ahead” to get positive results. Sarkozy was full of words for the re-launching of the Lisbon process saying: “Europe is starting to move forward ... It’s off to a new start ... Great news for Europeans ... (We have made a) political commitment to the Irish ... We need Ireland ... Ireland needs us,” adding, “How brave Irish Prime Minister has been!”
While Irish voters’ concern about tax-system, neutrality and abortion laws was addressed by allowing them to keep these, Sarkozy also clarified that as all member states ratify, every member states will have one Commissioner each plus “everyone is not obliged to go through another ratification.” Cowen expressed satisfaction at the agreement to have one Commissioner for one country so that Ireland gets one also. “This was very hard fought, and ... it is a major achievement by Ireland. Several member states were strongly opposed,” the Taoiseach told journalists.

CROATIA CONFIRMATION

Another fallout along with the legal guarantees promised to Ireland and paving the way for a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty was the decision to write it all into a protocol together with Croatia’s accession treaty to the EU in 2010 or 2011. Sarkozy told journalists: “To give a legal value to the engagements made to Ireland by the 26 other member states, we have committed that at the time of the next EU enlargement – whether that will be in 2010 or in 2011, when probably Croatia will join us ... we will use that to add a protocol (on Ireland) to Croatia’s accession treaty.” The announcement confirmed that the Balkan country with an EU candidate status since 2004 and in EU accession talks since 2005 could effectively become the bloc’s 28th member state by 2011 at the latest.

EASTERN INCLINE

The EU leaders continued to bolster its special friendly tone to its Eastern neighbours under the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy with the summit putting its formal seal of approval to an “Eastern Partnership” to be established next year. The Summit declaration stated that the Eastern Partnership will help stabilise the partner countries and contribute to “their further movement towards the EU.” A special neighborhood-policy summit is slated for early next year in the Czech Republic with the participation of the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. Czech Republic takes over the rotating EU Presidency from France on January 1, 2009 till end of June 2009 when Sweden will step in to take over the reins.

CHINA

President Sarkozy was upbeat on EU - China relations admitting, “There is a certain amount of tension, I regret that.” Stressing the independence of Europe Sarkozy said, “You can’t be dictated to on the way you should behave,” adding, “I would say to be very calm and very serene in the face of all this. There is only one China.” Sarkozy spoke about the rising importance of the European foreign and defence policy citing the encouraging words at the last NATO Summit for its importance. Javier Solana, Europe’s High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security, although present on the stage at the joint press conference was neither asked by President Sarkozy to speak nor made any attempts to put in his contribution. Concluding the joint press conference with Barroso and others, Sarkozy told journalists: “I am going to miss it all.”