1. AFCO - The Committee on Constitutional Affairs

"You can't build Europe against anyone" - Jaques Santer, former head of the European Comission
The principles and ideas that stood behind the establishment of the EU. How to find balance between ethics and harsh political reality? Should new priorities be outlined?

2. AFET - The Committee on Foreign Affairs

"We need to prove that it is better to face the challenges confronting us together." - Bronislaw Geremek, MEP and former Polish foreign minister.
The idea of common European policy against independent states' sovereignty. How should EU's foreign policy be shaped?

3. CULT - The Committee on Culture and Education

"The establishment of an EU identity is fraught with problems on both a conceptual and a practical level". - Gusztáv Kosztolányi, Hungarian journalist.
Facing Europe as a diverse continent. How to find balance between tolerance towards various cultures and the idea of establishing European identity? Should there be an emphasis on common European culture or rather diversity of European countries?

4. SEDE - The Committee on Security and Defence

Europe has even less chance of becoming a military power than of creating a sound currency." - Margaret Thatcher, former British Prime Minister.
Shaping European defence policy. What kind of military capacity should the EU have?

5.ECON - The Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

"Progess with fiscal consolidation has generally been too slow." - Joaquin Almunia, EU monetary affairs commissioner.
The question of criteria of accepting countries to Euro zone. Are these criteria adequate? Should the Euro zone be expanded to include the candidate countries?

6. BUDG - The Committee on Budgets

"It is clear that it is not those [member states] most in need which have to bring forward the biggest sacrifices." - Johannes LaitenbergerEuropean, Comission spokesman
The EU budget division. Is the financing of certain cultural sectors adequate? Should here be any changes in the distribution of EU funds among EU member states? Should the number of net-payers be increased?

February 09, 2008