The vision for the future of Europe has been debated in the EU Parliament, and votes passed as shown below.
So long as we still remain in the EU (prior to Brexit), it's important to take note of what is happening in the EU Parliament with a view to the influence and "shock" from the Brexit result and how it has resulted in the EU member states parliamentary representatives finally acknowledging the need for reform(s) most notably the need for reform of the EU Commission and its democratic representation, reform of the Lisbon Treaty, but also remain aware of the features that still pose challenges to sovereign rights.
It will be interesting to hear how EOS posters view this, and if this has the potential to lay the grounds for mutually beneficial outcomes to be achieved (via a less intransigent Commission) , from the upcoming negotiations once article 50 has been triggered. Also how realistic is the timeframe to this, plus does this timeframe allow for ongoing monitoring and review, so as to adequately respond to any issues that subsequently pose risks to cohesion across Europe (i,e. to address the need for greater flexiblility, where required).
If the EU is to boost its capacity to act, restore citizens’ trust and make the euro zone economy more resilient to outside shocks, it needs to make full use of the Lisbon Treaty. But to go further, it needs to reform itself more fundamentally. This was the key message of three resolutions exploring the future development of the European Union approved by Parliament on Thursday.
The first resolution, drafted by Mercedes Bresso (S&D, IT) and Elmar Brok (EPP, DE) focuses on making the most of the existing Lisbon Treaty. It proposes, inter alia, that:
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each member state should present at least three candidates, including both genders, for the role of “its” Commissioner,
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the Council should switch completely to qualified majority voting, wherever this is possible under the treaties, to avoid blocking important draft laws and speed up the legislative process, and
“The European Union doesn't need a populist revolution. It needs peace and to adapt to the necessities of our time. This means coping with democratic challenges, providing citizens with social, fiscal, and ecological protection, defending their right to safety in a very degraded international context and delivering on our moral obligations to our neighbours.”, said Ms Bresso.
“Citizens expect solutions from Europe, and they are angry because they do not see answers being delivered. This is evident in a time with many challenges, but there are many problems that can only be solved together. The Lisbon Treaty offers plenty of possibilities for making the EU more efficient, accountable and transparent, which have not yet been tapped”, said Mr Brok.
The resolution was approved by 329 votes to 223 with 83 abstentions.
Ambitious reform of treaties
The second resolution, by Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE, BE), looks at ways to move further than the current toolbox allows and suggests various reforms of the Lisbon Treaty, in the areas of economic governance, foreign policy, fundamental rights and transparency. In it, MEPs:
“These reports give the blueprint of what a more perfect Union should look like. They do not propose European integration for the sake of it. Once these reports are adopted, the question is: what is the way forward? I know we can have a strong, powerful, respected European union and at the same time have flourishing local and national democracies. In fact, I believe the one is not possible without the other”, said Mr Verhofstadt.
The resolution was approved by 283 votes to 269 with 83 abstentions.
Muscle up the Eurozone
In the third resolution, Reimer Böge (EPP, DE) and Pervenche Berès (S&D, FR) propose bringing the euro area economies closer together and making them more resilient to outside shocks. They outline a convergence strategy funded by a specific euro area budget, financed by its member states and available under clear conditions. Key proposals include:
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a convergence code: five years to meet convergence criteria on taxation, labour market, investment, productivity, and social cohesion, and
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governance: a bigger role for the European Parliament and national parliaments, merging the functions of Eurogroup President and economic and monetary affairs Commissioner, plus a finance minister and treasury within the European Commission.
“Stabilizing the Eurozone would be in the interests of the European Union as a whole. Our proposals will therefore lay the basis for any further negotiations with the other European institutions. International Monetary Fund experts have also responded positively, showing great interest in our ideas”, said Mr Böge.
"Sixty years after the Treaty of Rome was signed, the spirit of the European Union's founding fathers needs to be reignited. Creating a budget for the euro area would be a big step towards this goal, at a time when the need to preserve the euro's integrity has never been more urgent. By delivering solidarity to member states facing an exceptional crisis, absorbing macroeconomic shocks that can affect the euro zone as a whole and promoting upward convergence, such a tool could make the most of the currency, while helping to achieve full employment within the Union", said Ms Berès.
The resolution was approved by 304 votes to 255 with 68 abstentions.
All these proposals are part of a package that aims to clarify Parliament’s position on the future of the EU, in time for the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome (March 2017).
Procedure: non-legislative resolutions