Brussels, 30/11/2001 (Agence Europe) - The outline of the Declaration on the Future of Europe sent out by the Belgian Presidency to Member States before Guy Verhofstadt's tour of European capitals, begins, as we have already reported, with a chapter on Europe's strengths and weaknesses. Entitled; "Europe at the Crossroads", it asserts that European construction began with economic and technical co-operation, with the beginnings of democratic control being added during the last twenty years with a directly elected European Parliament. The document describes the Union as a "success", standing out in a sea of globalisation but it also criticises the democratic shortcomings that leave the citizen unable to find his bearings within the European institutions and who believes that the Union gets too involved in matters that would be best dealt with by "representatives from the Member States and regions". This shortcoming is perceived "as a genuine threat" to the citizen's identity". The declaration recognises the "expectations of the European citizen" with regard to a number of areas, such as justice internal and external security, pollution, food safety etc.
The third part of the document focuses entirely on the arrangements of a Convention on the Future of Europe (see 29 November issue of EUROPE page 3 for further details provided by the President of the Council, Louis Michel to the European Parliament).
The second part contains a schema of challenges and reforms of a modernised Europe and asserts that the Declaration of Laeken must address a number of specific issues that would feed into the Convention's work. These issues would focus on:
1) New power sharing within the Union. The document points to: how a clearer distinction could be made between powers exclusive to the Union, Member States or those that could be shared; the level at which powers are exercised most efficiently; how the "changing nature" of the Union might be preserved in order to be able to face new challenges and how to stop the Union encroaching into areas that should be the preserve of Member States.
2) Simplifying the Union's political instruments. The questions that could be raised might include, whether it were necessary to make a clearer distinction between standards, framework legislation and non-binding standards; identifying the areas for overt co-ordination and a mutual recognition and what instruments would be most appropriate.
3) More democracy in the Union. The Convention could examine the possibility of increasing legitimate democracy by making the Commission the executive arm of the EU and the Council and the Parliament two chambers of legislative power, as well as extending co-decision. It is also suggested that exploring the creation of genuine European political parties by establishing European constituencies for the election of some MEPs; by envisaging a system based on qualified majority voting to the European Parliament for nominating the President of the European Commission; how the efficacy of the institutions in an enlarged Union could be maintained by extending qualified majority voting; keeping the six- monthly tenure of the European Presidencies would also be up for discussion, as well as the role of the European Council and the General Affairs Council and national Parliaments and whether they should concentrate on control through the subsidiarity principle.
4) The road towards a European citizens' Constitution. Issues raised would include the possible necessity of revising the treaties into a basic treaty and one or more enforcement treaties and whether the Charter of Fundamental Rights would be incorporated into this basic treaty; whether a distinction ought to be made between amendment procedures and ratification of the basic and enforcement treaties; whether the distinction between the Union and the Communities would be maintained; the simplification of the treaties and whether this would create a process of change in which a fundamental text would eventually be reached and whether the EU could progress from a treaty of Member States to a social contract between its citizens.