Brussels, 04/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Eiffel Group Europe, comprising French politicians, economists and academics involved in European affairs, aspires to France (which belongs both to the north and south in Europe) becoming “a force with positive suggestions” again in the debate on European integration - particularly between eurozone countries.
According to this informal group, “a political Euro Community” should come to light in the mid-term through a change to the treaties, so as to make the single currency “the expression of a common destiny”. Without challenging the sound management of public finance, this community should be given new instruments aimed at absorbing the vagaries of conjecture through unemployment allocations and stimulating professional mobility, with the partial harmonisation of labour markets at the same time. The Euro Community will lead to long term policies like investment in the energy transition and digital infrastructure, transport, energy and research.
Democratic guarantees. The Euro Community should offer democratic guarantees. “The German authorities must understand that the control of European decisions by the institutions of a singular member state is difficult for others to accept. Without doubt, the Germans would not accept this themselves from another member state. The current situation, where German federal bodies (Bundestag, Court in Karlsruhe) hold the fate of the euro in their hands is not good for Germany, placed in a position of hegemony, nor for Germany's partners, reduced to complying”, says the Eiffel Group.
In addition, an own executive for the Euro Community would be established, which would be separate from national bodies and without each state necessarily being represented. “This government will be chosen as the result of an election of an assembly by Europeans of the participating countries, voting on the same day, according to the same modalities”, says the Eiffel Group. The executive would have an autonomous budget in relation to the EU budget and would be strictly financed by own resources such as company tax and environmental tax. A parliamentary assembly, comprising parliamentarians from the European Parliament would control the activities of the Euro Community executive according to the following principle - European decision, European control; national decision, national control.
The Eiffel Group derives it name from the engineer who designed the world famous tower. “Yet Eiffel (…) is another name that refers to a region in Germany”, said Sylvie Goulard MEP (ALDE, France). (MB)