Brussels, 07/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 3 October, the Spinelli Group - which brings together around a hundred MEPs supporting a federal Europe - presented a proposal for a fundamental law for the European Union in order to provide “a comprehensive revision of the Treaty of Lisbon” currently in force.
Almost 300 pages long, the document proposes that the EU “takes a major step towards a federal union”. “The crisis has shown that an intergovernmental Europe led by 27 member states does not work!” says Guy Verhofstadt MEP, one of the founders of the Spinelli Group. “It's as if the USA was led by 50 state governors who met four times a year, instead of having a president and a federal administration”, he states by way of comparison.
In order to achieve this federal Europe, the Spinelli Group proposes in particular to make the European Commission the real government of the EU. The Spinelli Group MEPs believe that the number of commissioners should not exceed the number of member states. However, they want a system of hierarchy between the members of the college, in the same way as a government comprises ministers and secretaries of state. Appointments would be made at the discretion of the president.
The European Parliament and the Council of European Ministers would remain the European co-legislators. The opportunities for the Council to block decisions would be reduced. The Council would adopt its positions by a qualified majority of 55% of members representing 65% of the population. There would therefore no longer be any blocking minorities. The Council could no longer abstain from a decision as it would be obliged to give its opinion in first reading, six months at the latest after receiving the Parliament's position. The Spinelli Group wants to put an end to the rotating presidencies of the Council (currently every six months). The different formations of the Council of Ministers of the EU would be presided over by one of the elected members for two and a half years - as already happens for the Eurogroup, the meeting of the eurozone finance ministers.
The presidents of the Parliament and the ECB (European Central Bank) would participate in the meetings of the European Council. The Council and Parliament would have the right of legislative initiative. As regards the very sensitive issue of the Parliament's headquarters, the Parliament could decide on its location after obtaining the agreement of the Council, expressed no longer by unanimity but by qualified majority.
More competences would be devolved to the EU in the economic, tax and labour domains, which would be shared competences. With regard to transport, industry and fishing quotas, the role of the Commission would be strengthened. Enhanced cooperation would also be facilitated.
Raising tax and pooling debt. The EU could raise taxes to finance its spending. The EU's multiannual financial framework (MFF) would be limited to three years, instead of the current seven. The eurozone would have a separate budget. The pooling of sovereign debt would be made possible, on condition that strict and controlled budgetary discipline is respected. In the case of excessive deficit, the Parliament, the Council and the Commission would together organise a hearing.
The Spinelli Group also suggests creating a pan-European constituency, with transnational lists.
The fundamental law would no longer make a distinction between the Treaty of the EU (TEU) and the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU). These would be brought together with the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the Euratom Treaty, and the Fiscal Compact. The rules for revising and bringing future treaties into force would be made more flexible and unanimity would no longer be required (a pan-European referendum would be envisaged).
Although several European leaders have already expressed reservation at a revision of the treaties, the MEPs from the Spinelli Group intend to have a constitutional convention. And it “will very probably begin its work towards spring 2015” in order to finish in time for the referendum promised by David Cameron in 2017.
Countries reluctant to take a federal path, like the UK, would be asked to become an associate member alongside Norway or Turkey, for example. (LC/transl.fl)