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| Public lecture of Gisela Stuart: What sort of EU will Bulgaria Join in 2007
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 On November 12, 2002 the British Embassy to
Bulgaria and the Center for the Study of Democracy jointly
organized a lecture "What sort of EU will Bulgaria join in 2007?"
by Ms. Gisela Stuart, MP . The event was hosted by the
UK Ambassador to Bulgaria Ian Soutar. Guests from the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Academy of the Ministry of
Interior, MPs, diplomats and students were present at the
lecture.
In her speech Ms. Stuart emphasized the importance of the Convention for the Future of Europe as a unique forum dealing for the first time with the issue of simplifying the EU institutional structure and decision-making process. The involvement of the applicant states and the national parliaments of both the member states and the applicants in the process of drafting of an EU Constitution is also unique and very positive step towards the integration of Europe. 
Ms. Stuart pointed out two major approaches as regards to the EU that she considered wrong. The first refers to the fact the EU issues have been always considered as part of the Foreign Ministries agenda in all members states which turns the EU into a foreign and not a domestic issue. The other problem is related to the different attitude of the politicians in each of the members states as regards to the decisions taken in Brussels depending on whether these decisions would be popular with their electorate or not.
 Being a member of the Presidium of the Convention,
Ms. Gisela Stuart shared her expectations about the reforms that
will take place in the EU by the time when Bulgaria becomes its
member. According to her opinion, the European Commission and the
European Parliament will be strengthened and will be provided with
extra powers. The Council of Ministers, however, will have to be
reformed in a way that it applies long-term strategies rather than
the policy of the country holding the presidency.
Ms. Stuart expressed hope that by 2007 the internal market would be completed and that EU military forces working with NATO would be created.
See full text
of the lecture
Gisela Stuart, MP
Gisela Stuart is a Labour Member of Parliament
for Birmingham Edgbaston. She is a Praesidium Member and UK
Parliament Representative on Convention for the Future of Europe,
and Chair of the Working Group on National Parliaments of the
Convention.
Ms. Stuart was member of the House of Commons Social Security Select Committee in 1997-98. In July 1999 she was appointed a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health and in 2001 she became member of Foreign Affairs Select Committee.
Ms. Stuart has a LLB degree from Manchester
Polytechnic and has been a Law Lecturer at Worchester College of
Technology. | |
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