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Declaration of Mallorca – successful end to conference on the future of the EU
A high‑level round‑table discussion on the future of the EU came to an end today (20 July) in Palma de Mallorca. At the invitation of Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and his Spanish counterpart, José Manuel García‑Margallo, 16 European Foreign Ministers, one Vice‑President of the European Commission and four prominent Members of the European Parliament met on the Spanish Mediterranean island yesterday (19 July) and today to discuss how the European Union might address its current and future challenges.
Self‑identifying as a pro‑European platform, the conference ended with the participants issuing a joint “Declaration of Mallorca”, in which they call for a strong, competitive and engaged Europe. The Declaration appeals to the citizens of the EU to make the coming elections to the European Parliament in May 2014 “a vote for a robust reform and jobs agenda” in Europe.
A link to the full text of the Declaration is available below.
The conference began in the afternoon of 19 July with an introduction from Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. At the close of the meeting, on the morning of 20 July, Crown Prince Felipe of Spain hosted talks with the round‑table participants.
This meeting served to build on the discussions of the EU’s Future of Europe Group – which comprises 11 European Foreign Ministers and presented a joint final report on its consultations in September 2012 – and simultaneously widen the circle of participants to include all of Europe’s decision‑making institutions.
The German and Spanish Foreign Ministers, who chaired the meeting, were joined by their counterparts from Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania, as well as the Deputy Prime Minister of Malta. Vice‑President Maroš Šefčovič took part in the round‑table discussion on behalf of the European Commission, while MEPs Elmar Brok, Andrew Duff, Roberto Gualtieri, Luis de Grandes Pascual and Hans‑Gert Pöttering were there from the European Parliament.
