German Chancellor Angela Merkel and leaders of other founding states of the European Union spoke on Friday of some
countries moving ahead faster than others with further integration.
After
a summit in Malta at which all national leaders discussed plans for a
formal declaration in March on the future of the bloc following
Britain's departure, Merkel and others offered endorsements of a
so-called "
multispeed Europe", which some governments fear could damage
EU unity in the wake of Brexit.
Though
they disagree on details, Berlin, Paris and many of the 17 other states
which use the euro currency are keen to bind the euro zone closer
together after years of crisis in which investors have doubted the
currency's survival. But some countries around the periphery of the bloc
fear creating a system in which a hard core of states pushes the EU
into
policies they do not want.
The last few years, Merkel told
reporters, showed "that there will be an EU with different speeds, that
not everyone will take part in the same levels of integration".
One
area in which governments are divided over the degree of integration is
defence. With the departure of long-time sceptic Britain, France and Germany are keen to develop closer EU ties.
The
27 leaders are due to meet without British Prime Minister Theresa May
on March 25 in the Italian capital to celebrate the 60th anniversary of
the founding Treaty of Rome.
French
President Francois Hollande said he thought that the Rome statement
could mention "several speeds" as a possible way forward, though he
stressed: "European unity is essential."
In
a reminder of divisions in the bloc, Hollande, who will step down in
May, took a dig at East European states which Paris complains fail to
honour commitments -- such as taking in asylum-seekers -- while
accepting big subsidies from Brussels:
"Europe
isn't a cash-box, not a self-service restaurant, a Europe where you
come and take what you need, where you take your structural funds or get
access to the internal market and then show no solidarity at all in
return," he told reporters. "Europe was built to be stronger together and it's that rule, that principle, which should be driven home in March."
In
a paper offering proposals for the Rome declaration, the three Benelux
neighbours said "different paths of integration and enhanced cooperation
could provide for effective responses to challenges that affect member
states in different ways".
Reuters