When the leading German coalition party, the Christian Democratic Union CDU, proposes some steps towards political union, national leaders and European media are guaranteed to comment in various ways.
After the next steps in the euro crisis, how does the CDU resolution Starkes Europa – Gute Zukunft für Deutschland outline the capable, democratic and transparent political union needed?
The Christian Democratic Union quickly wants to shape a consensus [among whom?]. A Convention with a clear mandate to put this consensus into practice should then be called.
Economic and political union
The CDU sees the completion of economic and monetary union (EMU) as a new milestone on the road to political union. The party has the following aims for the Convention:
1) The stability and growth pact (SGP) has to be strengthened by automatic penalties. The SGP has to be made harder to amend through integration into the EU treaties. The CDU wants the Court of Justice of the European Union to judge breaches of the EMU and the SGP.
2) Serious breaches of the SGP require a procedure with several levels in order to get their finances back in order:
* First, advice from the Commission.
* Commission staff to support the efficient use of budget resources and the coordination of EU funds.
* If necessary, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) can offer assistance on strict financial and economic conditions.
3) A procedure for debt restructuring. Voluntary secession from the eurozone without losing EU membership.
4) Developing the ESM into a ”European Monetary Fund”.
5) The citizens of the European Union to elect the president of the Commission directly (but the rest of the commissioners to remain national government appointees).
6) A democratic system with two chambers on an equal footing: the directly elected European Parliament and the Council of Ministers representing the member states. Both chambers could initiate legislation.
7) In the medium term the allocation of seats in the European Parliament has to reflect population size better.
CDU ”compass”
The CDU presents a ”compass” or creed: France as the most privileged European partner, more Europe where needed and less petty regulation, a privileged partnership for Turkey instead of full EU membership, a common foreign, security and defence policy which eventually leads to a defence union, and a more capable, legitimate and transparent Europe for citizens.
Popular sovereignty
The Christian Democratic Union is prepared to advance a few steps in the direction of economic and political union in Europe.
The CDU has not yet adopted popular sovereignty at European level as its first principle. This would lead to a democratic union based on its citizens: representative democracy and government elected by the people of Europe.
What is the added value for EU citizens of sharing their sovereignty at EU level with the states?
Ralf Grahn
Showing posts with label economic union. Show all posts
Showing posts with label economic union. Show all posts
Monday, 21 November 2011
Friday, 3 October 2008
EU: No-bailout rule IV
Bailouts of financial institutions dominate the news in the United States and Europe, but does the EU Lisbon Treaty change the European Community’s (European Union’s) and other member states’ lack of responsibility for public debt of a member state, the so called ‘no-bailout’ clause?
***
The currentt Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC) was to become the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), and generally the innovations as agreed in the 2004 IGC were to be inserted into the Treaty by way of specific modifications ‘in the usual manner’ (points 17 and 18, pages 6 and 7). As we remember, the legal base in Article III-183(2) of the Constitutional Treaty was rewritten.
I found nothing specific in the mandate of the intergovernmental conference (IGC 2007 Mandate, Council document 11218/07, 26 June 2007) about Article 103 TEC.
***
In Article 2, point 89 of the original Treaty of Lisbon (ToL) the IGC 2007 agreed on the following concerning Article 103 TEC (OJ 17.12.2007 C 306/71):
89) In Article 103, paragraph 2 shall be replaced by the following:
‘2. The Council, on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting the European Parliament, may, as required, specify definitions for the application of the prohibitions referred to in Articles 101 and 102 and in this Article.’.
***
The TFEU table of equivalences confirms that Article 103 TFEU (ToL) in the original Treaty of Lisbon was to be renumbered Article 125 TFEU in the consolidated version, under the title ‘Economic and monetary policy’, renumbered Title VIII (OJ 17.12.2007 C 306/211─212).
***
Consolidated Lisbon Treaty
Article 125 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) is found in the consolidated versions of the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, published in the Official Journal of the European Union, OJ 9.5.2008 C 115/99:
Part Three Union policies and internal actions
Title VIII Economic and monetary policy
Chapter 1 Economic policy
Article 125 TFEU
(ex Article 103 TEC)
1. The Union shall not be liable for or assume the commitments of central governments, regional, local or other public authorities, other bodies governed by public law, or public undertakings of any Member State, without prejudice to mutual financial guarantees for the joint execution of a specific project. A Member State shall not be liable for or assume the commitments of central governments, regional, local or other public authorities, other bodies governed by public law, or public undertakings of another Member State, without prejudice to mutual financial guarantees for the joint execution of a specific project.
2. The Council, on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting the European Parliament, may, as required, specify definitions for the application of the prohibitions referred to in Articles 123 and 124 and in this Article.
***
With regard to the current Article 103 TEC, in the first paragraph, the ‘Community’ was replaced by the ‘Union’; one of the so called horizontal amendments.
Paragraph 2 was rewritten. As in the cooperation procedure (Article 252 TEC), the Council acts on a proposal from the Commission. But according to the Lisbon Treaty, the European Parliament is only consulted.
***
Proposal from the Commission
Here is a reminder of the significance of a proposal from the Commission, as laid out in the Treaty of Lisbon (consolidated version, OJ 9.5.2008 C 115/173):
Article 293 TFEU
(ex Article 250 TEC)
1. Where, pursuant to the Treaties, the Council acts on a proposal from the Commission, it may amend that proposal only by acting unanimously, except in the cases referred to in paragraphs 10 and 13 of Article 294, in Articles 310, 312 and 314 and in the second paragraph of Article 315.
2. As long as the Council has not acted, the Commission may alter its proposal at any time during the procedures leading to the adoption of a Union act.
***
The following instalment is going to take a look at some comments concerning Article 125 TFEU.
Ralf Grahn
***
The currentt Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC) was to become the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), and generally the innovations as agreed in the 2004 IGC were to be inserted into the Treaty by way of specific modifications ‘in the usual manner’ (points 17 and 18, pages 6 and 7). As we remember, the legal base in Article III-183(2) of the Constitutional Treaty was rewritten.
I found nothing specific in the mandate of the intergovernmental conference (IGC 2007 Mandate, Council document 11218/07, 26 June 2007) about Article 103 TEC.
***
In Article 2, point 89 of the original Treaty of Lisbon (ToL) the IGC 2007 agreed on the following concerning Article 103 TEC (OJ 17.12.2007 C 306/71):
89) In Article 103, paragraph 2 shall be replaced by the following:
‘2. The Council, on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting the European Parliament, may, as required, specify definitions for the application of the prohibitions referred to in Articles 101 and 102 and in this Article.’.
***
The TFEU table of equivalences confirms that Article 103 TFEU (ToL) in the original Treaty of Lisbon was to be renumbered Article 125 TFEU in the consolidated version, under the title ‘Economic and monetary policy’, renumbered Title VIII (OJ 17.12.2007 C 306/211─212).
***
Consolidated Lisbon Treaty
Article 125 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) is found in the consolidated versions of the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, published in the Official Journal of the European Union, OJ 9.5.2008 C 115/99:
Part Three Union policies and internal actions
Title VIII Economic and monetary policy
Chapter 1 Economic policy
Article 125 TFEU
(ex Article 103 TEC)
1. The Union shall not be liable for or assume the commitments of central governments, regional, local or other public authorities, other bodies governed by public law, or public undertakings of any Member State, without prejudice to mutual financial guarantees for the joint execution of a specific project. A Member State shall not be liable for or assume the commitments of central governments, regional, local or other public authorities, other bodies governed by public law, or public undertakings of another Member State, without prejudice to mutual financial guarantees for the joint execution of a specific project.
2. The Council, on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting the European Parliament, may, as required, specify definitions for the application of the prohibitions referred to in Articles 123 and 124 and in this Article.
***
With regard to the current Article 103 TEC, in the first paragraph, the ‘Community’ was replaced by the ‘Union’; one of the so called horizontal amendments.
Paragraph 2 was rewritten. As in the cooperation procedure (Article 252 TEC), the Council acts on a proposal from the Commission. But according to the Lisbon Treaty, the European Parliament is only consulted.
***
Proposal from the Commission
Here is a reminder of the significance of a proposal from the Commission, as laid out in the Treaty of Lisbon (consolidated version, OJ 9.5.2008 C 115/173):
Article 293 TFEU
(ex Article 250 TEC)
1. Where, pursuant to the Treaties, the Council acts on a proposal from the Commission, it may amend that proposal only by acting unanimously, except in the cases referred to in paragraphs 10 and 13 of Article 294, in Articles 310, 312 and 314 and in the second paragraph of Article 315.
2. As long as the Council has not acted, the Commission may alter its proposal at any time during the procedures leading to the adoption of a Union act.
***
The following instalment is going to take a look at some comments concerning Article 125 TFEU.
Ralf Grahn
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