Future of Europe to meet European Council

We are approaching the moment of truth. Let us wait for the “Leaders’ Agenda” president Donald Tusk is going to present to the European Council (EUCO), before we definitively state that the EU27 heads of state or government have become impetus takers, instead of impetus providers, as they imagined in Article 15(1) TEU. But the years since the Lisbon Treaty entered into force have revealed the limitations of an intergovernmental EU, while the world has become even more challenging.

The novelty is that there is an ongoing future of Europe debate. Clearer views about the need for capability and democracy have reached EU institutions, with reform winds in the European Parliament, the European Commission and even parts of the European Council.

 

European Parliament

In the aftermath of the UK’s Brexit referendum, the European Parliament adopted a 28 June 2016 resolution on the need for a better European Union, based on using the Lisbon Treaty to the full and completed by a revision of the Treaties. On 16 February 2017 the Parliament elaborated on the theme through three resolutions: one on utilising the flexibilities of the Lisbon Treaty, a second on treaty reform proper, and a third one about creating a budgetary capacity for the euro area (EPRS note).

The one plus three European Parliament resolutions are P8_TA(2016)0294, followed by P8_TA(2017)0049, P8_TA(2017)0048 and P8_TA(2017)0050.  

Juncker Commission

The president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker used his State of the Union 2017 (SOTEU) address SPEECH/17/3165 to outline proposals for the near future (draft Commission Work Programme for 2018), as well as more long-term initiatives  to make the EU more capable, by using the flexibilities of the EU treaties. (The State of the Union 2017 web page offers a convenient brochure and other references for those interested.)

Well before the SOTEU speech, starting 1 March 2017, the Juncker Commission launched a public debate on the future of Europe. First came the White Paper:

White Paper on the Future of Europe: Reflections and scenarios for the EU27 by 2025; Brussels, 1.3.2017 COM(2017) 2025 final

The White Paper contained analysis and five imaginary scenarios based on conflicting ambitions for the future of the European project. The White Paper promised to deliver further food for thought and debate (page 18):

The European Commission will contribute to that discussion in the months ahead with a series of reflection papers on the following topics:

• developing the social dimension of Europe;

• deepening the Economic and Monetary Union, on the basis of the Five Presidents' Report of June 2015;

• harnessing globalisation;

• the future of Europe’s defence;

• the future of EU finances.

Known as Reflection papers and stimulating public discussion beyond the Rome Declaration from the EU27 leaders, the five documents are:

Reflection paper on the social dimension of Europe; Brussels, 26.4.2017 COM(2017) 206 final

Reflection paper on harnessing globalisation; Brussels, 10.5.2017 COM(2017) 240 final

Reflection paper on the deepening of the economic and monetary union; Brussels, 31.5.2017 COM(2017) 291 final

Reflection paper on the future of European defence; Brussels, 7.6.2017 COM(2017) 315 final

Reflection paper on the future of EU finances; Brussels, 28.6.2017 COM(2017) 358 final  

Because I have used references to the austere but readable Eur-Lex versions, I owe a mention to those who prefer the pastel coloured “printed” versions of the Commission’s White Paper and Reflection papers (including the annexes) that they can be found through the web page White paper on the future of Europe and the way forward.  

Twitter reflects at least parts of the multilingual pan-European public debate under the hashtag #FutureOfEurope.

President Macron

On 26 September 2017 the Sorbonne speech of the president of France Emmanuel Macron was an eloquent call for European sovereignty in a challenging, even dangerous world. The president sprinkled his speech with examples of reforms to make the European Union more capable and resilient.

President Macron has told the public that France is going to recognise the symbols of the European Union at the EUCO meeting next week. This probably means a notification to join the declaration 52 by 16 EU member states annexed to the treaties. This would be an opportunity for ten remaining EU27 to follow suit. You find the declaration on page 355 of the consolidated EU Treaties (2016).

New interventions and discussion regardings Macron’s EU reform ideas may appear under the Twitter hashtag #InitiativeEurope.

European Economic and Social Committee

The consultative European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has taken initial steps in the discussion about the future of Europe, by adopting a preliminary resolution on 5 July 2017 and by publishing a compilation of national consultations of organized civil society on the White Paper on the Future of Europe (216 pages). The EESC is preparing an opinion.

Committee of the Regions

According to president Karl-Heinz Lambertz, the consultative European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is preparing an opinion on the future of Europe to be delivered next year (page 8).

Ralf Grahn

Europe 2020 strategy: Regions challenge central governments

The regional and local authorities challenge the central governments of the member states of the European Union by demanding equal partnerships and ”territorial pacts” when the National Reform Programmes (NPR) are devised and implemented, in order to achieve the headline targets of the Europe 2020 strategy for growth and jobs.


Committee of the Regions (CoR)

The Committee of the Regions (CoR), the EU advisory body representing regional and local powers, wants to engage all levels of government on an equal footing through ”territorial pacts” when putting the Europe 2020 strategy (EU2020) into practice:

Europe 2020 strategy and territorial pacts: the Hungarian presidency visits the CoR (31 January 2011, press release COR/11/12)

The CoR has reiterated its demand in a letter addressed to the European Council (in French): Déclaration du Bureau Comité des régions adressée au Conseil européen de printemps 2011 (4 March 2011).

The essential EU2020 claims aare found in paragraphs 3 and 4:

3. À cette fin, le Comité des régions insiste sur la nécessité d'exiger un partenariat à multiniveaux entre pouvoirs européen, centraux, régionaux et locaux afin de renforcer l'appropriation de la stratégie Europe 2020. Nous demandons donc que les programmes nationaux de réforme soient conçus et mis en œuvre en partenariat entre les différents échelons de gouvernement, et fassent référence à la création de pactes territoriaux pour la stratégie Europe 2020, qui pourraient être mis en œuvre dans chaque État membre conformément au cadre juridique national.

4. Étant donné que le Parlement européen soutient aussi officiellement les pactes territoriaux de la stratégie Europe 2020, nous proposons que les conclusions du sommet européen de printemps fassent référence à cette proposition dans les recommandations sur la version finale et la mise en œuvre des programmes nationaux de réforme des 27 États membres.

European Commission

Commission president José Manuel Barroso supported the push by the CoR for territorial pacts:

02.12.2010 - "I need you to push member states on territorial pacts",Commission President Barroso tells CoR plenary


European Parliament

The issue has been brewing in the EU institutions for some time. Even if cohesion policy was the main theme of the resolution P7_TA(2010)0468 of 14 December 2010 on 'Good governance and EU regional policy' of the European Parliament, the EP came out in support of a ‘Territorial Pact of Local and Regional Authorities for Europe 2020’:

16.  Calls for the multi-level governance principle to be integrated into all phases of design and implementation of the EU2020 Strategy to ensure real ownership of the results by the regional and local authorities, which have to implement it; highlights in this connection the proposal for a ‘Territorial Pact of Local and Regional Authorities for Europe 2020’ to encourage regions and cities to contribute to the successful achievement of the objectives of the 2020 Strategy;

EU Council and European Council

This leaves the Council of the European Union and the European Council, both dominated by representatives of the (central) state governments.

How are they going to react?

Has anyone seen any clear responses from these intergovernmental EU institutions yet?



Ralf Grahn


P.S. Does any other EU member state have a system equal to or better than the integrated solution of the Danish parliament (Folketinget), where you find EU-Oplysningen (the EU Information Centre) and Folketingets Europaudvalg (the European Affairs Committee of the Folketing), including EU and government documents scrutinised, all in one place? How about the quality of information ahead of EU Council meetings? (Some information and links are available in English.)

EU Committee of the Regions: New Rules of Procedure

According to Article 13(4) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission shall be assisted by an Economic and Social Committee and a Committee of the Regions acting in an advisory capacity (OJEU 9.5.2008 C 115/22).

More detailed provisions on the Committee of the Regions are found in Article 300 and Articles 305 to 307 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) (OJEU pages 177-179).

Promptly after the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the Committee of the Regions (CoR) has adopted new Rules of Procedure, which are of interest to the members and to those who deal with the CoR. The 79 Articles of the Rules of Procedure detail the work of the CoR even further.

Based on Article 306 TFEU, the CoR Rules of Procedure have now been officially published:




COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS RULES OF PROCEDURE; adopted 3 December 2009; published OJEU 9.1.2010 L 6/14.




Ralf Grahn



P.S. Suitably at the beginning of the Spanish presidency of the Council of the European Union, we highlight La Oreja de Europa, written by Macarena Rodríguez, a journalist based in Brussels. The name of the blog “The Ear of Europe” is possibly meant to evoke Brussels as her listening post for the benefit of readers in Spain, a country with powerful autonomous regions. The prize-winning La Oreja de Europa is listed among the now more than 500 great euroblogs on multilingual Bloggingportal.eu, a useful one-stop-shop for fact, opinion and gossip on European affairs, i.a. politics, policies, economics, finance and law.