I Presidenti dell'UEF e del Gruppo Spinelli al Parlamento europeo chiedono a Charles Michel di includere nell'agenda del Consiglio europeo del 14-15 dicembre la discussione della proposta del PE di riforma dell'UE.
Dear Mr. President, cher Charles,
We hope this message finds you well,
On 22 November 2023, the European Parliament adopted its proposal to amend the Treaties and triggered the procedure of Article 48(2) of the Treaty on European Union (attached to this letter).
The Council of the European Union, according to its legal obligation and the commitment expressed by the Spanish Presidency during the debate in the Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament on 19 October 2023 and during the debate in the Plenary of the European Parliament on 21 November 2023, shall transmit as soon as possible the Parliament proposal to the European Council.
On behalf of the Union of European Federalists (UEF) and the Spinelli Group in the European Parliament and the many citizens expecting a push for a more united and stronger European Union, we would like to draw your attention to the urgency for the European Council to maintain an exchange of views on the Parliament proposal to amend the Treaties in order to reach a political agreement on the calling of a Convention during its 14-15 December meeting.
In particular, we would like to stress the need of proceeding like that for two main reasons:Firstly, because our Union and the world have changed after the challenges of the last decade such as the financial and economic crisis of 2010 and the correlative increase of nationalpopulist forces, the climate emergency, the digital transition, the rise of China as geopolitical actor, the Arab spring and its aftermath, the Russian aggressions and interference, migration flows, Brexit, the Trump presidency, the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, it is more necessary than ever to update our policies and initiate a reform of our institutional framework.
Secondly, because the European citizens are asking for a more effective, sovereign, and democratic Union as expressed during the Conference on the Future of Europe concluded on 9 May 2022. It is in the interest of citizens but also of all the Member States to deliver on EU citizens expectations and to reform the Union to have better tools (new policies) and more capacity to act (better decision-making) to manage the current challenges we are facing.
Regarding the policies, it is needed to update our environmental policies with the climate neutrality goal, the European Health Union with shared competences and to include the Social Progress Protocol in the Treaties. On the other hand, in order to improve our decision-making we need to end vetoes in Council, especially in Foreign Policy, Social policy and taxation; we badly need to extend the Ordinary legislative Procedure to all the policy areas, and to strengthen the Parliament prerogatives with the right of legislative initiative, among others.
This institutional upgrade is even more urgent with the relaunching of enlargement (Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia) that should go hand in hand with deepening, to manage a Union of (potentially) 36 Member States. The target of enlargement by 2030 is ambitious and it is doable. Nevertheless, it is obvious that our Union will not work with the current institutional rules once it reaches 36 members.
Furthermore, I would like to inform you that the Union of European Federalists celebrated its Congress on 25-26 November. The Congress held in Brussels with the motto “Towards European Elections: For a Federal Europe” adopted the Manifesto “For a Federal Europe: The urgency of overcoming the current Treaties” that you can find attached in our message.
Therefore, on behalf of the Union of European Federalists and of the Spinelli Group, wetake the liberty of strongly urge you to include in the Agenda of the European Council of 14-15 December 2023 the discussion on the EP position on proposals for the amendment to the Treaties in order to reach a political agreement for the calling of the Convention.
European citizens trust in us, while our unity needs to be strengthened urgently. We do believe that we all share this aspiration and commitment. The Union of European Federalists, the Spinelli Group in the European Parliament, and the countless citizens that we represent, count on you to answer the call of History.
Yours faithfully,
Domènec Ruiz Devesa
President of the UEF
Member of the European Parliament
Sandro Gozi
President of the Spinelli Group
Member of the European Parliamen