Implementing the Treaty of Lisbon
Does Europe need good administrators or innovative political leadership? It is too early to give a definitive evaluation of the Belgian presidency response to this issue. It is a question of knowing just how far the presidency went beyond that of playing the honest broker and took on the role of providing the necessary driving force required by the EU with regard to internal and external developments.
It has been well recognised by the international press, Members of the European Parliament and the Commission that the Council of Ministers has performed well during the last six months. It has not just been the diplomatic team led by Olivier Chastel but also ministers under the acting government of Yves Leterme, especially Minister of Foreign Affairs, Steven Vanackere and ministers for the regions (responsible for decentralised issues) that have kept the institutional machinery well oiled and even achieved unexpected results. It was not, therefore, surprising that they were officially congratulated at a press conference on Monday, 20 December 2010, for the results obtained during the Belgian rotating presidency that ran from 1 July to 31 December 2010. It was not just the obvious professionalism of Belgian diplomats that was noteworthy but also the devotion and skill shown by all officials, including the impressive amount of time spent in consultation with other institutions and national governments.
Overall, it was a question of allowing the Treaty of Lisbon to begin demonstrating its first fruits, one of which is a more understated role for the rotating presidency, especially in the area of external relations. In the new institutional order dominated by three personalities (the President of the European Council, former Belgian prime minister, Herman van Rompuy, the President of the European Commission, José Barroso, strengthened by parliamentary legitimacy and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Lady Catherine Ashton) and taking into account the co-decision powers that have accrued to the European Parliament as a result of the Lisbon treaty, experts have unanimously deemed the rotating presidency of the European Council to have been the loser.
There is, however, still some significant room for initiative and the Belgian presidency, when chairing all the various special councils (foreign affairs council excepted) and COREPER meetings, was undeniably successful in being able to play the role of honest broker mediating between the Member States and institutions to create an atmosphere conducive to communication and compromise, especially in difficult areas such as how to tackle the economic crisis or agree the next European Union budget.
Of special note was the good work done by the General Affairs Council (GAC) that, along with Herman van Rompuy, ensured that the European Councils of 14 September, 28/29 October and 16/17 December were well prepared and the specialised horizontal councils (such as EU 2020) were properly coordinated.
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Table of Contents
Implementing the Treaty of Lisbon
Policies to overcome the crisis
Other results concerning life in the EU: the European Citizens’ Initiative
Cancun Conference on Climate Change
External Relations
Mario Telo, president of the Institute for European studies (IEE) of the Université Libre de Bruxelles during four years, is currently its vice-president and in charge of international relations. He was professor at many universities in the Americas, East Asia and Europe. Mario Telo has written 21 books and about 100 scientific articles published in ten different languages. Among his recent books are: The EU: A Civilian Power?, Palgrave 2005; The EU and New Regionalism, Ashgate 2007; The EU and Global Governance, Routledge 2009 and International Relations. A European Perspective, Ashgate 2009. He was several times advisor to the EU Council Presidency, the EU Commission and the European Parliament.
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