In line with the position expressed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commissioner for Interinstitutional Relations, Maroš Šefčovič, said on Tuesday 19 May that there was no need to wait for a revision of the European treaties to reform the European Union, but rather to use the existing tools to take decisions in the Council of the EU by qualified majority of the Member States.
“Our decision-making processes must evolve if we are to retain the ability to act swiftly and decisively, both at home and on the world stage. But we do not need to wait for Treaty change to act. We must use the existing tools to their full potential. For example, the passerelle clauses provide a pathway to shift from unanimity to qualified majority voting in key areas, including on foreign and security policy”, Mr Šefčovič said during a debate in Parliament on the governance issues facing the EU in the light of the challenges confronting it.
He also referred to the possibility of exploring other avenues, such as recourse to “enhanced cooperation” when the absence of unanimity blocks any progress, as was the case when adopting the EU loan to Ukraine worth €90 billion for 2026 and 2027.
While the European Council has asked the Commission to present a report on the EU’s internal developments in four areas - values, common policies, budget and governance - with a view to enlargement, the Commissioner did not indicate when the EU institution would present this document (see EUROPE 13684/15).
“In parallel to the enlargement process, the Union needs to lay the necessary internal groundwork for reform and address key questions related to its priorities and its policies, as well as its capacity to act”, said Cyprus’ Minister for European Affairs, Marilena Raouna, on behalf of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU.
The Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Sven Simon (EPP, German), considered that greater European integration would succeed only if citizens see that the political decisions taken are understandable, require those taking them to be accountable and can, if necessary, be corrected.
In his view, the role of the European Parliament in democratic scrutiny must be strengthened. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)