On Thursday 12 December, the Heads of State or Government of the European Union will stress the importance of the Conference on the Future of Europe producing “concrete results” by focusing on the implementation of the strategic agenda for the new institutional cycle finalised in June (see EUROPE 12279/1).
In conclusions to be adopted at their first working session, the Twenty-Seven will ask the incoming Croatian Presidency to prepare a common position of the EU Council on “the content, scope, composition and functioning of such a conference”, with a view to negotiating an interinstitutional agreement on this initiative, which will last 2 years, with the European Commission and the European Parliament (see EUROPE 12385/5).
The Commission will present its ideas at the beginning of 2020, while the European Parliament will adopt a specific resolution at the January plenary session (see EUROPE 12387/4).
This is “a very important initiative that can only work if all institutions are involved” and “if citizens [are] involved from the beginning of the process”, said a senior European official on Wednesday 11 December, who believes the work should be based on the issues identified in the strategic agenda of European leaders.
According to one national diplomat, it is important at this stage to “not be too prescriptive”. It is necessary to “think more about our policies than about our institutions”, said a source in the Elysée the day before.
The Conference will start its work in spring 2020 and is expected to make early proposals in the summer on how to democratise the European Parliament’s electoral process, perhaps through the formalisation of the lead candidates process (‘Spitzenkandidat’) and the creation of transnational lists.
See the draft conclusions of the European Council dated 9 December: http://bit.ly/38tqK4C (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion with the editor)