Distributed by la Documentation française (text in French).

Abstract

In recent years, France and Germany have not succeeded in proposing a precise design for the great Europe to come, while the enlargement is calling for a reform of the EU in five main areas: the reform of the institutions; the financing of an enlarged Europe; the co-ordination of national economic policies and the EU's monetary policy; the ongoing development of the EU's defense policy; and the development of a coherent vision of the EU's future borders.
Along with the Convention on the future of Europe, France and Germany must act in order to improve the efficiency, visibility and democratic legitimacy of the EU's political system. It is necessary to both enhance the role of the European Council, and to make the Commission stronger.

Learning from the October 2002 Brussels compromise, the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy and of the Structural Policy has to be continued. The financial burden that today weighs upon each member State should be more equally distributed; but solidarity within the EU has to be maintained. In this respect, a co-financing of agricultural subsides is likely to be as useful as an increase in Common Policies expenses.

The EU's Growth and Stability Pact should continue to develop towards a kind of economic governance system based on a clever policy, and not only on technical considerations. Countries that are in difficulty should be temporarily entitled to go beyond the GIP 3% budget deficit limit, while they shall be obliged to implement structural reforms.
The EU also needs solid political and military structures. Beyond a better articulation of EU's Foreign, Defense and Trade Policies, Berlin has to carry on the professionalization of the Bundeswehr, and to increase Germany's Defense budget. Such decisions are crucial for both countries to become, in partnership with the UK, the mainspring of an internationally emerging EU.

Paris and Berlin also have to think together about the future borders of Europe. After fast approcaching enlargement, the EU should pause in order to consolidate itself both politically and institutionally. And the perspective of adhesion should still be used as a political instrument towards candidate States.

Karl Kaiser is the Director of the Research Institute within the German Council on Foreign Relations (GCFR). 
Thierry de Montbrial is Ifri's Director. He is a member of the Académie des sciences morales et politiques. 
Ulrike Guérot is in charge of European affairs at the Humboldt-Universität (Berlin). 
Martin Koopmann is the Head of the France/French-German Relations Service within the GCFR. 
Maxime Lefebvre is a Research Fellow at Ifri (European affairs). 
Philippe Moreau Defarges is Research Fellow at Ifri (European affairs, global governance issues). 
Hans Stark is the Head of the Committee for Research on French-German relations (CERFA) within Ifri.