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The Role of Present Co-Operation Structures in the Process of European Integration

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The Role of Present Co-Operation Structures in the Process of European Integration THE ROLE OF PRESENT CO-OPERATION STRUCTURES IN THE PROCESS OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION Klaus Schumann The changes in the political situation in tant expertise of the Council of Europe in Europe have resulted in the need to the field of human rights and fundamental reassess the role and structures of Euro- freedoms was recognized.It was agreed to pean and Atlantic co-operation. The consider further waysand means to enable peaceful revolution in Central and Eastern the Councilof Europe to make a contribu- Europe and the collapse of an oppressive tion to the human dimension of the cscE. socio-politicalsystem - symbolizedby the Finally, the November 1990Paris Summit fall of the Berlin wall - opened for all and its Charter for a new Europe brought European citizens the perspective for a a radical change in the cscE structures. It united Europe. For more than forty years was the start of an institutionalisation of Europeans in Central and Eastern Europe the cscE ;the transformation of the CSCE had been excluded from the process of from a forum of East-Westconfrontation European construction and integration, and hard-negotiated ambiguous compro- based on individual liberty, pluralist mises to - possibly - an organ of authentic democratic institutions and the rule of law co-operation. because they had the misfortune to be A new chapter has been opened in the liberated by the wrong tanks. The ongoing process of European construction and democraticreforms and the expressed wish integration. However, the euphoria over to join the Western European institutional this new dimensionof European unity has model of pluralist democracy and market been overtaken by the reality of political economy made COMECONand the Warsaw and practical difficulties to overcome the Pact obsolete as co-operation structures. existing gaps between the old and new These political changes had also direct partners in this processof European con- implicationson the Conference on Secur- struction. Central and Eastern European ity and Co-operation in Europe (cscE), countries are still characterised by frighte- the mostimportant structurefor East-West ning economic problems, an uncertain political dialogue and multilateral co- transition toward pluralist democracy, an operation during the last sixteen years. increasing risk of social disintegration, Since the signature of the Helsinki Final with a related rise in nationalism and a Act in 1975,the cscE has been an ongoing return to old ethnic tensions. There is, process of diplomatic conferences aiming therefore, an urgent need for intensive at the implementation of the texts signed levels of co-operation to support the at Helsinki and those agreed on at subse- development of healthy economic struc- quent follow-up meetings (Belgrade, tures based on market economy, for the Madrid and Vienna). The events in East- strengthening of democratic institutions ern and Central Europe in the second half and for taking account of the region's wish of 1989and the new climate in East-West to be included in some sort of security relations had an immediate impact on the framework linking it to the western part- c$CE.Since 1975,UNESCO and the Econ- ners. omic Commissionfor Europe (ECE) have That the successof the ongoing changes been the only international organisations fully depends on the possibility for these referred to in the cscE texts as countries to become part of the European organisationswhich may contribute to the process of construction and integration practical implementation of the Helsinki was clearly expressed by President Havei Final Act. At the cscE's Bonn Economic during his visit to the NATOheadquarters Conference in April 1990,OECD, for the in March 1991:"Security and co-operation first time, was given a specific role in in the Europe of tomorrow can best be implementingthe Forum'sconclusions and achieved by a framework of interlocking at the cscE's Copenhagen Conference on institutions in which the interests of all the HumanDimension in 1990,the impor- Europeanstates can be accommodated. The 13 Czech and Slovak Federal Republic sees With regard to the parliamentary dimen- the true elemellBof the Europeaflarchitec- sion of the CSCE, the Charter of Paris ture in the CSCE, the Council of Europe, recognised the important role parliamen- the North Atlantic Alliance, the European tarians can play in the cscE process and Communities and lhe Western European urged that contacts be pursued at parlia- Union." mentary level to discuss the field of activ- After these preliminary remarks, the ities, working methods and rules of pro- following description of the existing - or cedure of such a cscE parliamentary at present developing structures of co- structure, drawing on existing experience operation and integration will take into and work already undertaken in this field. account the potential role that they can On the invitation of the Spanish Parlia- play in the further development of all ment, parliamentarians from all the cscE European co-operation. countries met from 2 to 4 April 1991 in Madrid and decided to recommend the CSCE creation of a csCEparliamentary assembly The preamble of the Charter of Paris for with a limited secretariat staff. This new a New Europe makes reference to a new parliamentary body should meet once a era of democracy, peace and unity and year, each time in a different capital of underlines that the triumph of pluralist one of the cscE countries. It is suggested democracy, human rights and the rule of to hold a first session in Budapest in July law must still be consolidated.The signifi- 1992. It is up to the forthcoming Council cant fact was that the 34 heads of State of Foreign Ministers in Berlin on 19-20 and government agreed to transform the June 1991 to consider this recommenda- cscE 'process' into an 'institution'. A tion. system of regular meetings was decided upon: summits in connection with follow- Council of Europe up meetings every second year, a Foreign The oldest of the political European post- Ministers' meeting at least once a year war organisations has grown from 10 prepared by a Committee of Senior offi- founder countries in 1949to at present 25 cials, which can decide itself on its num- members.Any European state can become ber of meetings.Furthermore, three cscE a member of the Council of Europe pro- institutions, with very limited staffs (to vided it is based on pluralist democratic consist of national officials on two-year institutions, accepts the principle of the secondment), were created: rule of law and guaranteeseveryone under its jurisdiction the enjoyment of human - a Secretariat in Prague, rights and fundamental freedoms as layed - a Centre for Prevention of Conflicts in down in the European Convention on Vienna, and Human Rights, an international treaty of - an Office for Free Elections in Warsaw. unprecedented scope which entered into force in 1953and which has established a During 1991five cscE expert meetingsare binding enforcement machinery (the scheduled: European Commissionand the European Court of Human Rights) to which States - Meeting on Peaceful Settlement of and individuals may refer alleged viol- Conflicts in Valletta, (January, Febru- ations of the Convention. Besidesits main ary) ; aims to protect and strengthen pluralist - Symposium on Cultural Heritage in democracy and human rights, as well as to Cracow (May/June); promote the emergence of a genuine - Meetingof Experts on National Minor- European cultural identity, the Council of ities in Geneva (July); Europe covers all major issues facing - Third !h? l'nnfpiPnrp nn European 5l)d?ty wirh tho Pxcpntinn nf the Human Dimension in Moscow defence. Its inter -governmental work (September); programme includes the following fields - Seminar of Experts on Democratic of activity: human rights, media, legal Institutions in Oslo (November). harmonisation, social and economicques- tions, health, education, culture, heritage .
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