President,

The Motion for a Resolution from the Green/EFA group calls for "a new political approach on national and European levels" and for "new ideas and firm action". We cannot overcome the economic, social and climate crises we face using the same policies and mindset that created them.

And we can't build a more democratic and more effective Europe unless we do that within the real changing political climate.

Today in Wales the National Assembly is starting the process for a referendum on more law making powers. In Catalunya, Scotland, Flanders and elsewhere there are changes taking place.

Tomorrow we are discussing enlargement of the EU to outside its borders but we have not even begun to address internal enlargement - where countries inside the EU borders gain independence. These questions have not been answered in the debates on the election of the new Commission despite the changes happening all around us. I would ask President Barroso again to do so.

Jill Evans MEP
Plaid Cymru