ELDR welcomes revised Treaty but regrets lack of European spirit What the European Liberal Democrats want to see included in the new Treaty ! ELDR is fully satisfied with new regulation on European political parties ALDE nominates Andrew Duff as Parliament's 3rd representative on Treaty reform talks Leaders of 3 ALDE groups hold joint meeting ahead of speech by leader of ALDE NATO parliamentary assembly group PNL prepares for European elections in Autumn ELDR is looking for a new Press and Communications officer ELDR welcomes revised Treaty but regrets lack of European spiritThe European Liberal Democrat and Reform (ELDR) Party welcomes the outcome of the European Council of 21-22 June and the end of the EU’s institutional deadlock. The Portuguese Presidency should now ensure that the intergovernmental conference proposes the signature of a new Treaty before the end of the year. Commenting on the results of the summit, ELDR Party President Annemie Neyts stated: “The new Treaty keeps the substance of the European Constitution and its institutional package. With this agreement on a new Treaty, the EU has passed a crucial test of its credibility, proving to both itself and the wider world that it is capable of taking fundamental decisions over its future with 27 members”.“However, I regret a climate of mistrust towards the European Union and its institutions. The primacy of European law and the title of Foreign Affairs Minister have been deleted to please the governments reluctant to be a part of further European integration. In so doing, the national Leaders are deluding themselves and preventing their citizens from understanding what the EU is about”.“I would like to thank the European Liberal Democrat Prime Ministers for their commitment to the European spirit and for coming to the summit with a positive attitude without red lines for the negotiations. In particular, I would like to pay my tribute to Guy Verhofstadt who has been an outstanding European-minded Prime Minister since 1999”. Read moreWhat the European Liberal Democrats want to see included in the new Treaty !The European Liberal Democrat and Reform (ELDR) Party supports the efforts of the German Presidency to break the deadlock on the stalled Constitutional Treaty and agree on a timetable for institutional changes at the European Council on 21-22 June. For Annemie Neyts, ELDR Party President, “the new Treaty should include the institutional and procedural innovations as well as the binding nature of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The Part III of the Constitutional Treaty, containing the provisions of the current Treaties which relate to the policies of the European Union, does not need to form part of the new Treaty. Where the institutional and procedural provisions of Part III go further than existing law, they should be incorporated into Part I”. The European Liberal Democrat Prime Ministers, Andrus Ansip, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, Matti Vanhanen and Guy Verhofstadt are against reopening the institutional package, including the voting rights, agreed in the EU Constitution. «We need a new Treaty so that our Union of 27 Member States works effectively. The EU cannot continue to be absorbed in an endless constitutional debate. In the new Treaty, we should retain the extended use of qualified majority voting and the institutional provisions », stressed Anders Fogh Rasmussen.Read moreELDR is fully satisfied with new regulation on European political partiesAnnemie Neyts, European Liberal Democrat and Reform (ELDR) Party President, welcomed the adoption by the European Commission of updated rules for the activities and funding of European political parties on 27 June. In an effort to further promote a European public sphere, this proposal also provides for the establishment and funding of political foundations at European level.“Shaking off the EU blues will require giving citizens a greater say on the EU’s agenda and the recognition by citizens of the EU as a legitimate power. European political parties are key to make this happen. Without parties expressing the political will of the citizens, there is no democracy. This holds good at all levels of political representation and also for the EU.”“This new proposal will allow European political parties to function more effectively. A major change from the past regulation is that European political parties are now allowed to campaign for European elections. This will definitely make them more able to fulfill their mission and to give European citizens the choice between different political choices.”“I also welcome the creation of European political foundations as they will support the work of European political parties by undertaking a wide range of activities such as organising conferences, developing new policy proposals, training of persons active in politics, conducting studies, etc…,” stated Annemie Neyts, ELDR Party President.Read moreALDE nominates Andrew Duff as Parliament's 3rd representative on Treaty reform talksAndrew Duff (UK, Lib Dem) was nominated by the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) as one of the three Members of the European Parliament to participate in the forthcoming Intergovernmental Conference which will negotiate the text of the new Reform Treaty. Parliament's group leaders are due to approve the names of the three representatives on 12th July. Elmar Brok (PPE, DE) and Enrique Baron Crespo (PSE, ES) have already been nominated by their respective political groups. Commenting his appointment, Duff said: "It is an honour to be backed by the Liberal and Democrat Group for this important task, and right that Parliament's role in EU treaty revision has been upgraded and made more pluralistic than before. The IGC has a difficult and urgent job to do in clarifying and consolidating the agreement reached in June by the European Council, and in ensuring legal certainty. Parliament must ensure that the powers it gained in the 2004 constitutional treaty are fully protected in this renegotiation. Opt-outs by certain member states must not be allowed to blunt reform of the Union's system of governance”. "Europe cannot afford to fail for a second time to take necessary steps forward in the interests of our security, prosperity and democracy. The three MEPs at the IGC must help to make this important negotiation more open and comprehensible than it would otherwise be."Leaders of 3 ALDE groups hold joint meeting ahead of speech by leader of ALDE NATO parliamentary assembly groupAt the initiative of the ALDE Group in the Committee of the Regions, the Leaders of the ALDE Group in the European Parliament and in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Graham Watson MEP and Senator Joseph Day, held a joint meeting with the President of the ALDE Group in the CoR, Ivo Opstelten, Mayor of Rotterdam. The meeting took place at the Committee of the Regions in Brussels on 2 July, and represented a first contact between the three leaders who underlined the importance of keeping contacts across the different institutions to strengthen the voice of liberals and democrats. They pledged to meet again in the future. Senator Day, a member of the Canadian Liberal Party, had travelled over from Canada to speak at the extraordinary group meeting of the ALDE-CoR Group. In his speech, he warned that one of the biggest dangers to international security comes from failed states, and in this respect he praised the EU's commitment to acting "before countries deteriorate", and to solving conflicts "gradually, according to rules, procedures, negotiations, and multilateral cooperation, [where] the use of military force is not rejected, [but] supplemented by a variety of other mechanisms" which can help to prevent the need for military force. Senator Day added, however, that "intervention in the behaviour of states to protect individuals is now deemed an accepted principle of international relations", but called for liberals, "who are, at heart, pragmatic" to be "cautionary rather than enthusiastic", explaining that the imposition of an "overly western vision" can undermine traditional power structures and leave a population disorientated and very nervous. Finally, he stressed that the agenda for peace and stability depends on NATO, the EU and the OSCE having "a clear understanding of what their core competencies are and that duplications on the ground [are] to be avoided". PNL prepares for European election in Autumn Romanian Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu announced that he will set the date of the European elections at the beginning of the parliamentary session in early September. Tariceanu said the date will be set following consultations with the parliamentary parties and that issues of European interest have to be taken into account in the campaign.Mihai-Răzvan Ungureanu, former minister for foreign affairs accepted the position of head of list for PNL (Liberal National Party) for the European elections. Second in line will come the PNL secretary-general Dan Motreanu, who is also heading the party's electoral campaign for the MEPs' election.ELDR is looking for a new Press and Communications officer Myriam Cornillet, ELDR Party Press and Communication officer, will leave ELDR to work at the European Commission; therefore ELDR is now seeking a new Communication Officer to support its growing activities.The position: Member of a small team, the Communication Officer will be responsible for managing the external communication of the Party towards its national political parties and European citizens. S/He will be in charge of the ELDR Party media relations.Specifically, s/he will be coordinating ELDR pan-European communication campaigns as well as informing member parties about liberal policy developments around Europe. As such s/he will be the responsible editor of the quarterly newspaper of the party and other relevant publications. S/He will be in charge of effectively communicating the ELDR positions to the media and of further developing the party’s relations with the press.The Communication Officer will be responsible for managing the media relations at all major ELDR events, including the ELDR Leaders meetings prior to the European Council meetings (attended by liberal Prime Ministers, European Commissioners and national party leaders). Requirements: The candidate must possess an advanced university degree in Political Science / International Relations / Journalism / Communication. S/He is a motivated person, able to show initiative and to plan and implement communication strategies and events.• S/He should have a minimum of three years of practical experience in communication, journalism or media relations, preferably in an international environment. A proven track record in the management of projects is desirable.• S/He should have a thorough understanding of European policies and the workings of the EU institutions.• S/He should have affinity with liberal democrat values. • S/He should have excellent interpersonal and communication skills.• S/He should be fluent in English and in French (excellent drafting skills are required); a good working knowledge of another EU language is an asset.• S/He should be computer literate, and especially well versed in the latest internet communication tools.The candidate will be based in Brussels but will also be called upon to travel frequently.Application: Applicants are requested to send a letter of motivation and curriculum vitae to Ms Federica Sabbati, Secretary General of the ELDR Party, preferably by email to fsabbati@eldr.org, or by regular mail to ELDR Party, Rue Montoyer 31, 7th floor - 1000 Brussels, Belgium. ELDR is an equal opportunity employer. For more information see www.eldr.org Closing date for receipt of applications: 15 September, 2007.