Nationale Mitte-Rechts-Parteien wollen stärker mit der EU zusammenarbeiten[en] 

"How many refrenda do we need to lose to be aware of the abysmal gap existing between the European project and the citizens?", exclaimed Jean-François Copé, president of the centre right French political party UMP at the blub's press launch, attended by some 20 European parliamentarians. 

"We do not know how to build a Europe of solutions", he said, explaining the importance of creating such club. The European Parliament's EPP-ED group president Wilfried Martens added, "we need to develop cooperation between national parliaments". 

"Each time directives or regulations start being evoked in Brussels, national deputies should take a public stance", Copé stressed. The point is to prevent sensitive issues - such as the GMO regulations or the services Directives, which triggered the French 'No' to the EU constitution - from exploding into the national public debate and surprising parliamentarians. Currently, this is the case most of the time, he said. 

Since the start of discussions on a European constitution and the subsequent Lisbon Treaty, the Commission has taken the initiative to consult national parliamentarians when reflecting on new directives. However national parliamentarians are still far from being all involved in the discussions, Copé points out?

If the Lisbon Treaty is approved, national parliaments' role would be further strengthened as they would have the right to raise objections to Commission's proposals via the so-called "yellow and orange card" procedure (EurActiv 09/05/08). 

Ahead of this, the objective of the club is thus to strengthen cooperation and improve coordination among national parliaments so as to be able to make use of the procedure. 

The EPP-ED group and the club of the 27 will therefore discuss texts currently tackled at EU level, in order to "think all together about solutions". 

Copé made it clear that "it was up to each member state to decide" which political groups would take part in this new structure. Indeed, among the 27 member states, not all national right political parties are europhile. 

It is also hoped this initiative will get Europe closer to its citizens, as European elections are approaching. "A strong participation will depend on national deputies and senators", claimed Pierre Lequilier, president of EU's delegation for the national Assembly.