REPORT ON THE SURVEY - 1st part of the project

"The Future of Europe - our opinion counts"

 The participators of the Survey were chosen throughout their professional and voluntary interests. Some of them was younger than 25. Some of them older than 60. More than two thirds of the respondents are in between these two mentioned ages.

 Because of translation to the Czech language and discussions towards the respondents we can dismiss any misunderstandings.

 Results:

 1.1. The less representative for the Czech respondents are European Commission and European Council. The other institutions have got very near point result.

 1.2. European Parliament should have at least the same role as Council.

 1.3. If there should be some change than the period could be prolongated up to 2,5 years and the chairman should be elected directly by the members of the Council.

 1.4. Absolutely necessary to give up any executive role for the Council.

 1.5. Conclusions and discussions of the Council should be public if the real secret security topic is not on the table.

 1.6. Consensus is after enlargement no more regardable and most of responders ask to delete this requirement in all agenda or to minimize the number of agenda required the consensus very substantially.

 1.7. European Commission should be exclusive executive body in the EU.

 1.8. Practically equally is required the Clause one for each country and reducing of the number of Commissioners. Principle of Rotation or Junior Commissioners are not supported.

 1.9. Head of European Commission should be elected by European Parliament.

 1.10. The Commissioners should be chosen by the Head of EC and the whole EC should be approved by EP.

 1.11. Council should solve at first the strategic questions of integration.

2.1. The structural and cohesion funds are fully required and needed after enlargement.

 2.2. Harmonisation of taxation could be required but the taxes of income should be apart.

 2.3. European Tax is neccessary for further developing of the European integration proccess.

2.4. CAP should be maintained but its European budget ratio

should be reduced.

 2.5. - 2.10. It is basically not possible to qualify the common denominator of the responses. We could only concluded that in all mentioned areas should be represented the role of member states which should be, however, influenced by EU.

 2.11. The external policy should be governed by EC and if there would be the position of vice-president then he could be in charge.

 2.12. EP should have the priority in the definition of the External Policy. 

2.13.-2.16. EC should lead the Defence Policy by the specific Commissioner, EP should define the priorities of the Defence Policy and European Army is to be established as well. 

2.17. The European Court of Justice is to solve the disputies among member states and the EU.

 3.1.-3.2. The Charter should be legally binding, but better to be the specific attachement than the preamble. In the preamble should be declared which common values are shared in the EU by Europeans and member states. ANO 

3.3. There should be one treaty and constitutional proccess should be started.

 3.4. Enlargement could continue but the common shared values should be strictly required from any even canditate. 

4.1.-4.2. It is very hard for the responders to preview any option to the consensual adoption of the European Constitution. What is one-minded that is the requirement that the constitution should be valid only in the states where it was ratificated. That is why the pan-European referendum should not be organised and the way of ratification is up to the will and solution of the each member state.  

4.3. The further changes of the Constitution could be prepared by the Convention, if no other method would be invented.

 The report was elaborated by Ivo Kaplan, Secretary General of UEF CZ

 Prague, February 11, 2003

 Selection of people interviewed: 

Daniel Kroupa, Senator

Alexandr Svoboda

Ivo Kaplan, Candidate to EP

Michal Bortel, Chairman of the Deputies Club of Social Democrats in Brno

Karel Masek, European Movement Brno

Petr Jantac, Lawyer interested in Constitutional Affairs

Ivo Maryska, Chairman of Young federalists in the Czech Republic