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May 10, 2002 The high representative for the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, calls for ending the rotating system of EU presidencies as well as for restricting the right of veto in the European Council, according to El Mundo. Speaking in Madrid, Mr Solana talked about the process of reforms that the EU must undertake before the enlargement. He maintained that the European Council must be at the "heart" of the development of the Union, but urged its reforms to make it more efficient. Solana says decisions would have to be adopted by qualified majority at European summits. Mr Solana is against having a presidency which changes hands every 6 months, saying that it is "a thing of yesterday and not of tomorrow." Report on Council reforms Mr Solana suggests several modalities of reforming the EU presidency: longer term programming through co-operation between successive EU presidencies, designation of presidents of certain groups or committees for a period longer than six months, or presidency of some EU committees by the Council's secretariat. He also proposes the modification of Treaties to allow the election by the European Council of their president for a period longer than six months, eventually two and a half years, and the designation of certain or all presidents of Council formations for more than six months. The report of Mr Solana also takes note of a general request for more transparency within the Council and proposes the opening of the Council sessions when the Council acts as legislator. The paper also warns that European summits risk being derailed by the fact that the highest level meetings are regularly being seized with technical matters. Due to blockages at the level of ministers, the European Council is being taken as an arbiter for regular EU decisions and fails to deliver on his role as forum of political impulsions. The EU foreign policy chief will present his paper to the members of the European Parliament next Wednesday in Strasbourg.
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