Reiterating his deep commitment to the Community method, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, will unveil the institution's options for the future of the European Union of 27 at the plenary session of the European Parliament, at the beginning of the afternoon in Brussels on Wednesday 1 March.
By publishing this White Paper ahead of the celebrations at the end of March for the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, the Commission's aim is to launch a reflection by tabling several options on how to move forward with an EU of 27 countries, once the United Kingdom has left. These options are “positive, realistic and not mutually exclusive”, according to the spokesperson of the institution, Margaritis Schinas. It will be for the College of Commissioners to define the “content of these options and how they fit together”, he added, with the Commission still to put the finishing touches to the document on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.
The press has speculated on parts of what the White Paper, which the highest echelons of the Commission have so far managed to keep secret, might contain. One of the options could concern a Europe of several speeds based around a hard-core formed by the Eurozone.
On the timetable chosen, publishing this reflection document on the future of the EU in early March will allow the Commission to avoid a clash with the triggering, by the British government, of article 50 of the treaty to initiate divorce negotiations between the UK and the EU, which is also expected in the course of March. It will also allow the heads of state or government to put together their initial reaction to this reflection document, when they hold a meeting of 27 on Friday 10 March. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion with Camille-Cerise Gessant)