December 2023-Until now | The urgency of overcoming the current Treaties
Contest
On Wednesday 22 November 2023, the European Parliament approved the Report on the proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties drafted by Spinelli Group members Guy Verhofstadt, Sven Simon, Gabriele Bischoff, Daniel Freund, and Helmut Scholz.
This was a historic vote, which sees the European Parliament once again playing a leading role after forty years, since the draft Treaty inspired by Altiero Spinelli, in an attempt to strengthen the political and decision-making architecture of Europe to make it a protagonist of the challenges of its time.
On 18 December 2023, the Council of the EU played its part, thanks to Spain’s leadership, and transmitted the European Parliament’s request for activation of Article 48 TEU to the European Council. Europe now turns to Charles Michel and EU national leaders to immediately include the EP‘s request on the agenda of the next EUCO meeting.
The request for Treaty change has to be considered by the European Council first of all because it is urgent and necessary. The European Union lacks the indispensable tools to act in the face of the challenges of security and economic competition that we are undergoing.
The European Council will then be required to decide by a simple majority (at least 14 governments out of 27) whether to convene a Convention to begin negotiating EU reform with representatives of the governments, national parliaments, Commission and European Parliament.
Despite some significant changes made to the text by the plenary of the Parliament, the very fact that the report has been approved opens up a hugely important opportunity for the federalist battle.
Our goal
The UEF works to bring national governments and parliaments to support the initiation of a reform of the Treaties and to give a favourable opinion on the opening of the Convention requested by the European Parliament
The Political Manifesto
Read here | Download here
The political Manifesto is the basis for our political actions. It was approved on the last UEF European Congress.
The UEF has made a commitment to promote the contents of this manifesto among the european political families so that they can be included in their programmes for the European Elections.
The Memorandum
English Read here | Download here
Italian Read here | Download here
The aim of this paper is to highlight that the reforms the European Union needs in order to be able to act effectively in areas where common policies are needed can be achieved only through the convening of a Convention, as envisaged by the ordinary revision procedure, and not through other instruments provided for by the Treaties. Neither the simplified revision procedures of Article 48(6) and (7) TEU nor the possibility (provided for in Article 49 TEU) of laying down adjustments to the Treaties on the occasion of the accession of new member States are indeed viable avenues for the effective and comprehensive reform that is needed today.
The Memorandum is sent to the European Parliament, the Commission, the EU Council and national Parliaments and Governments with several communications and advocacy actions.
URGING THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL
In light of the European Council meeting on 21-22 March, it is the duty of the European Council and the heads of State to respect the will of the citizens and strengthen the European Union.
The UEF and our partners from the Spinelli Group, European Movement International (EMI) and the Young European Federalists (JEF Europe) have written letters to:
URGING MPs, NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS and GOVERNMENTS
After the decision of the EU Parliaments has been sent to the EU Council, in view of the decision by the Governments on the Convention for the Treaty reform, we need to inform and urge national Governements and national Parliaments.
- Individual volunteers can use or get inspired by this:
NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS: Draft resolution word LINK | pdf LINK
INDIVIDUAL MP letter (example LINK) - UEF Sections can translate this letters and send to their govemerment:
DRAFT LETTER TO THE GOVERNMENTS: word LINK | pdf LINK
The UEF, its national sections our partners from the Spinelli Group, European Movement International (EMI) and the Young European Federalists (JEF Europe) have written letters to the heads of each EU Member State with in attached the Memorandum:
- Austria, Letter to Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer LINK
- Belgium, Letter to Prime Minister Alexander De Croo LINK
- Bulgaria, Letter to Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov LINK
- Croatia, Letter to Prime Minister Andrej Plenković LINK
- Republic of Cyprus, Letter to President Nikos Christodoulides, LINK
- Czech Republic, Letter to Prime Minister Petr Fiala, LINK
- Denmark, Letter to Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen LINK
- Estonia, Letter to Prime Minister Kaja Kallas LINK
- Finland, Letter to the Prime Minister Petteri Orpo LINK
- France, Letter to the President Emmanuel Macron LINK
- Germany, Letter to Federal Chancellor Olaf Sholz LINK
- Greece, Letter to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis LINK
- Hungary, Letter to Prime Minister Viktor Orban LINK
- Ireland, Letter to The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar LINK
- Italy, Letter to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni LINK
- Latvia, Letter to Prime Minister Evika Siliņa LINK
- Lithuania, Letter to President Gitanas Nausėda LINK
- Luxembourg, Letter to Prime Minister Luc Frieden LINK
- Malta, Letter to Prime Minister Robert Abela LINK
- Netherlands, Letter to Prime Minister Mark Rutte LINK
- Poland, Letter to Prime Minister Donald Tusk LINK
- Portugal, Letter to Prime Minister Antonio Costa LINK
- Romania, Letter to President Klaus Werner Iohannis LINK
- Slovakia, Letter to Prime Minister Robert Fico LINK
- Slovenia, Letter to Prime Minister Robert Gobob LINK
- Spain, Letter to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez LINK
- Sweden, Letter to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson LINK
UEF COOPERATIONS: The European Letter
The European Letters, published in 7 languages, is issued under the auspices of the Luciano Bolis European Foundation. It is a tool used to support the campaign of the Union of European Federalists and a partnership has been signed for a monthly publication as of 2024. It is sent to more than 8000 addresses including journalists, think tanks and the political class in particular the following Parliaments: European Parliament, Italian, French, German, Austrian, Spanish, Belgian, Netherland, - from this month - Greek and Romanian Parliaments.
In this campaign phase you can read the following publications: