18 small countries unite in Athens on EU future
By Lisbeth Kirk
The days are over in Europe when only leaders of big states get together to prepare common positions ahead of important European summits.
This morning, 16 April, heads of states from 18 smaller European countries gathered in the Ballroom of the Hotel Inter Continental in Athens. The meeting, named the "Benelux Breakfast", was initiated by the three Benelux countries with the aim of creating a united front ahead of the meeting with Convention president Valéry Giscard d’Estaing later today in Athens.
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The Belgian premier Guy Verhofstadt gave the opening speech while prime ministers, along with their foreign ministers, had their morning coffee, rolls and orange juice.
Luxembourg to speak on behalf of all
The meeting agreed that Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker should speak on behalf of all 18 countries at the meeting with Mr Giscard later today.
The smaller countries have agreed a list of seven points to be presented including a call for equality among member states, institutional balance and a refusal to create a new post of president of the Council. However, the group favours that a new post can be set up to manage external relations - although the Netherlands has some reservations about the exact nature of a minister for foreign affairs.
Mr Verhofstadt told the EUobserver after the breakfast that the smaller countries had felt the initiative was needed to make "sure that Mr Giscard is listening".
In the future, the group will keep in contact at the level of Directors of European Affairs, but new meetings at ministerial level are not planned for the moment.
Besides the three Benelux countries, four other member states - Austria, Portugal, Ireland and Finland - also participated. Nine of the acceding countries, expected to join the EU next year were present. Only Poland, which is regarded to be a big county, was conspicuous by its absence.
Romania and Bulgaria, which are likely to join the EU in 2007, were present on the list of participants, as well.
Denmark and Sweden not on board
Two small countries Denmark and Sweden did not participate. They were described as more "intergovernmental minded" as they tend to support the big countries' wish to have a permanent president of the European Union.
According to Mr Verhofstadt the countries are welcome to join the small countries's club if they can agree to the seven points. For their part, the Finns expressed the wish to bring the Nordic countries, as a group, into future meetings.
Greece, current holders of the six-month rotating presidency, (a system that the 18 today in Athens will push so hard to keep in a future Europe), could not partake in the meeting as it has to maintain a neutral position at the helm of the EU.