The responsibility for organising and steering the Conference on the Future of Europe must be “shared” fairly between the European institutions and the Member States, including their national parliaments, the Croatian Presidency of the EU Council stated in a document sent to the EU Council.
“The process must be inclusive and allow for the involvement of all Member States on an equal basis. There should be ‘shared ownership’ on the part of European institutions and Member States, including parliaments”, the Croatian authorities say in this informal ‘non-paper’ discussed on Wednesday 22 January by Member States' ambassadors to the EU and read by EUROPE.
Stressing “the vital role” to be played by citizens in the work of the Conference, which will last 2 years, the Presidency also sets out three principles on which this initiative should be based: “ - equality between the institutions at all levels; - respect for each institution’s prerogatives; - effectiveness and avoidance of unnecessary bureaucracy”.
The involvement of civil society is also mentioned.
However, the details of the Conference’s governance will have to be negotiated between the EU Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission, the latter having unveiled a minimum vision on Wednesday (see EUROPE 12409/2).
Parliament envisages three organisational entities for organising the work of the Conference (see EUROPE 12405/1, 12404/1): - an ‘executive coordination committee’ composed of five members: three representatives from Parliament from the EPP, S&D and Renew Europe groups (one from each group), one representative from the EU Council and one representative from the Commission; - a steering board composed of representatives from Parliament (with representation from all political groups, a representative of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs and a representative of the Parliament’s Bureau) and representatives of the EU Council (Presidencies) and the Commission (the three competent Commissioners); - a plenary assembly consisting of a maximum of 135 MEPs, 27 members of the EU Council, two to four members from each national parliament, the three competent Commissioners, four members of the European Economic and Social Committee, four members of the European Committee of the Regions and two representatives from social partners at the Union level.
The Croatian Presidency is of the opinion that the Conference should produce “tangible” results by defining a vision for the Union in 10 or 20 years’ time. This is “a broad and open-ended process”, it says.
But the issue of institutional reform divides the Member States, who do not want to go down that road in advance.
As for the topics to be discussed, they are expected to reflect the strategic agenda for the new institutional cycle agreed by the Twenty-seven in June 2019 (see EUROPE 12279/1). Discussions will also reportedly address globalisation and the EU’s place in the world, environmental sustainability, technological change and the EU’s core values. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)