The Chancellor's [Helmut Kohl's] Meeting with the President of the EC Commission on Monday, 24 February 1992: Main Issues and Results of Working Lunch

VLR I Bitterlich                                                                                                                  

Bonn, 28 February 1992

M e m o r a n d u m

Subject: The Chancellor's Meeting with the President of the EC Commission on Monday, 24 February 1992: Main Issues and Results of Working Lunch[1]

During the working lunch, the following issues had been discussed in the presence of staffers:

1. Preparations for European Council Lisbon 

a) Delors II-Package

- Consensus to hold initial talks in Lisbon on the issue but not to seek decisions (aims have to be precisely defined in advance) as discussion on finance would harm the Maastricht ratification process (see also French attitude);

- The Chancellor will write a relevant letter to the Portuguese Prime Minister (also on the European Council in general);

- Pledge from President Delors to approach the Portuguese Prime Minister and explain all of this (hint about concerns that Great Britain might not further pursue the dossier so that it could be left undone until the Danish presidency in 1993).

b) EC Enlargement 

- The aim is to decide on conclusions on enlargement based on the Commission report that had been adopted in Maastricht;

Basic orientation:

- green light for the start of negotiations with EFTA countries who were willing to start talks in early 1993;

- Principles for further proceedings: Criteria; the need to meet standards; establishment of transitory structures (elements, for example, of economic cooperation between these countries; institutional deepening through regular foreign ministers’ meetings);

- perhaps the need for German-French initiative in terms of preparing for the European Council in cooperation with President Delors’ coworkers (he will suggest this vis-à-vis President Mitterrand).

c) Definition of priorities in terms of foreign policy 

- President Delors thinks this plan by the Portuguese foreign minister is dangerous and counterproductive.

d) European Council in general 

Consensus not to overload the European Council ("less issues, but good issues"); EC was not in need of headlines: "failed" or "behind one’s expectations"; moreover, one had to take into account: Elections in Italy and Great Britain, regional elections in France and Germany.

2. Ratification of the Maastricht Treaty

- Discussion of potential problems

- Maastricht at European Council 

- Delors convinced of positive results in terms of the vote; European Parliament had not yet understood its new rights and necessity for changes in its working methods ("Klepsch had to be more decisive, otherwise he would get lost like his predecessors").

- Upon the Chancellor’s request, Delors will submit a note; based on this, the Chancellor will write a letter to EP-President Klepsch pledging support from the German group (meeting on Wednesday);

3. GATT

- Agreement on further proceedings

- Tuesday, 25.02.: Chancellor’s telephone conversation with Canadian PM Mulroney (Mulroney visit in the USA and meeting with President Bush over the weekend); prior to that, consultations about the content of Canadian pleas between MD Dr. Feiter and Mr. Zepter;

- Tuesday, 25.02.: Telephone conversation between MD Dr. Feiter and General Scowcroft: Request for meeting with U.S. delegation on the margins of the talks with the EC Commission on 27.02. and 28.02 in Brussel on the Chancellor’s instruction (request for consulting the President);

- During that week, telephone conversation (presumably on Thursday) between Delors and PM Mulroney;

- If necessary, information on content of telephone conversation through MD Dr. Feiter und Cabinet Chief Lamy;

- Friday, 28.02.: First meeting between Lamy and Zoellick in Brussels in order to test MD Dr. Feiter’s approach (first agreement on principles, numbers only in the last round prior to Easter); subsequently share info with MD Dr. Feiter;

- Friday, 28.02.: Meeting between U.S. delegation and EC Commission in Brussels;  

- Friday, 28.02.: Meeting between MD Dr. Feiter and U.S. delegation on the margins of meetings in Brussels;

- Subsequently "checking back" on the results of the talks in order to prepare further proceedings (Aim: telephone conversation between the Chancellor and President Bush in the following week; preparations for the Chancellor’s visit at Camp David 21/22 March);

- Monday/Tuesday 2/3 March: Removal of the agenda item "GATT" from the discussion of the European Council (Delors/Lamy will get in touch with France and the Portuguese presidency and will inform MD Dr. Feiter).

- Canadian request (Art. 11)

- MD Dr. Feiter: Canadian Finance Minister had told him that Canada would support EC position in terms of substitutes if EC was helpful with regards to Canada’s request on article 11 (milk);

- Delors/Lamy: Assistance possible but no concessions in terms of substance, for instance through granting transitory phase (Andriessen had also told Canadian side);

- Coordination of position for the telephone conversation with PM Mulroney via MD Dr. Feiter/Zepter.

4. Perspectives on British Council Presidency 

- Delors skeptical with regards to Great Britain’s presidency in the second half of 1992:

- GB does not want to pursue Delors II-Package; hence it could be left undone until the Danish presidency in 1993 (Bitterlich inserts: GB is aware that it must push discussions forward);

- GB wants fast enlargement, but no further internal reforms;

- GB wants to prove that the reforms on the Common Foreign and Security Policy adopted in Maastricht "are not a useful instrument".

- The Chancellor points out that, in terms of GB’s position, much would depend on the election results; people in GB (and in the USA) did not know enough about the EC (see his most recent talks with the Foreign Committee of the House of Commons) – it had been our mistake not to have explained the EC sufficiently.

5. Further internal EC reforms 

- Delors elaborates on his initial ideas about structural internal reforms in parallel to future accessions: Changes in the presidential system (see, for instance, Haensch-proposal); appointment of a European Council president for 3 years ("managing-president," perhaps in personal union with the President of the EC Commission).

- The Chancellor emphasizes the necessity for such a proposal to come from a small country – not Germany or France. With regards to the president idea: This depended on the personality.

6. Europe Meeting of the CDU’s Women’s Association

Delors accepts the Chancellor’s invitation for the Europe Meeting of the CDU’s Women’s Association in Thuringia on 20 September (pick-up through Bundeswehr airplane from Geneva to Erfurt, perhaps a visit in Weimar with Mrs. Delors).

7. EC seminars for European intellectuals 

Delors reports on his efforts to garner European intellectuals (not just from within the EC) for the EC; convocation of 4 seminars in 1992, including 15 - 20 persons each in Poland, Spain, Switzerland, and GB; target group: philosophy, ethics, political science, sociology, geography, etc.). He asked for help to send 6 - 8 Germans. Pledge to send the Chancellor a note. (The Chancellor explicitly mentions Prof. Rovan – Delors will meet Rovan on 4 March).

8. German-French relations 

Delors queries as to how one could solidify German-French institutions (for instance, through appropriate declarations); reference to German-French meetings of entrepreneurs in April in Evian ("first meeting of this sort!"). The Chancellor basically agrees to Delors’ proposition.

 (Bitterlich)