UEF News 2002
21 January 2002
EP delegation must be a driving force in the Constitutional Convention
Bruno BOISSIERE, European Secretary-General of the U.E.F., explained that the 16 Members of the European Parliament, who were appointed during the Strasbourg plenary session, should play a key role as the driving force within the Convention on the future of Europe. On the basis of the recent parliamentary reports (the Duhamel Report and the Leinen-Méndez de Vigo Report) there is a clear orientation for a European Constitution with more democracy, efficiency and transparency in the EU.
„The U.E.F. sees many competent MEPs within the constitutional Convention who are committed defenders of a federal Europe“, Bruno BOISSIERE stated. Nevertheless, he regretted that the PSE group did not consider the qualities of leading figures like Richard CORBETT (PSE Coordinator of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, UK), Jo LEINEN (Co-rapporteur on the Future of the Union, D), Giorgio NAPOLITANO (President of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, I) and Dimitris TSATSOS (Observer of the EP at the last IGC, GR) in the PSE group were not considered.
The Secretary-General of the U.E.F. further hopes that this does not reflect a lack of willingness of the Group of the Party of European Socialists to actively promote a European Federal Constitution.
Contact: Bruno BOISSIERE, UEF European Secretary-General, Tel.: +32-2.508 30 32 The Union of European Federalists (UEF) is an independent, non-governmental, and supranational organisation dedicated to the promotion of a federal Europe. President : Jo LEINEN, MEP
28 February 2002
An opportunity for a more federal Europe
On the eve of the opening of the Convention on the future of the European Union, the Union of European Federalists (U.E.F.) and the Young European Federalists (JEF), organised a public debate in the European Parliament in Brussels on the subject “The Constitutional Convention: what are the prospects for the Federation of Europe?”.
About 300 people participated in the debate with three members of the Convention Presidium and the representative of the Hungarian government. The debate was chaired by Jo LEINEN MEP, President of the U.E.F. Mr. LEINEN welcomed the Convention as a considerable democratic innovation.
The Vice-President of the Convention Jean-Luc DEHAENE hoped that the establishment of a structured network of organisations of civil society would lead to mutual influence. “The outcome of the Convention will be neither a Federation nor the United States of Europe”, he stated, “but I will be satisfied if it is a Europe with federal elements”.
“The federalists should not lose hope” according to Iñigo MENDEZ DE VIGO MEP, President of the EP delegation to the Convention. “They have a vision which many of us share. The revolution was made fifty years ago with the Community method –now we need to deepen it and achieve a political Union” he concluded.
Commissioner Michel BARNIER welcomed the fact that the Convention offers the opportunity of building the EU for and with the citizens and to discuss the question of the finality of the Union. “I am not afraid of using the word federation. I am even in favour of discussing a distribution of competences according to federalist principles in the name of transparency, efficiency and democracy”, he added.
Referring to the risk of dilution of the EU if enlargement is not well prepared, Janos MARTONYI, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary, said that “a politically and economically more united Europe is necessary, and the existing structures should be strengthened and improved”. He considered the Convention as the high point of his 30 years as a convinced federalist.
Contact : Lucía Caudet, Tel. : +32-(0)486.03.90.67
24 April 2002
A federal Europe to guarantee the cultural diversity of the regions
About 100 European participants attended a European colloquium on “European regions and the federal future of Europe” in Palma de Mallorca on 19 and 20 April. This event was organised by the Union of European Federalists (U.E.F.), in co-operation with the Government of the Balearic Islands and the Council of the Island of Mallorca.
With a view to the future enlargement and the great economic differences between European regions, Francesco MUSOTTO MEP (PPE, I), Camilo NOGUEIRA MEP (Verts/ALE, E), and Gabriela HERNANDEZ (DG REGIO, European Commission), stressed the need to find compensatory measures and to enhance solidarity.
According to José María MUÑOA, Basque Country’s President’s Delegate for Foreign Affairs, solidarity does not depend on the way regional powers are organised, but on the political will behind them. He further spelled out a warning over neglect of the regions’ demands to be present in the EU and to see their diversity respected : “Uniformity does not mean union. On the contrary, it can lead to separation”.
The Vice-President of the Government of the Balearic Islands Pere SAMPOL I MAS regretted that EU regional policy is managed by the member states and not by the regional authorities concerned. He called for better recognition and protection of minority languages. “We demand the presence of constitutional regions in the Council of the EU and COREPER. Unfortunately there is a lack of imagination and of political will to go in this direction”.MEP and Deputy Member of the Convention Carlos CARNERO (PSE, E) said a draft Constitution should increase the role of the regions in European institutions. “The draft European Constitution should be ratified by a single European referendum”, he stated.
30 April 2002
Middle East crisis reveals weakness of the European Union
The Union of European Federalists (UEF), chaired by Jo LEINEN MEP, notes that the current diplomatic efforts of the European Union to put an end to the Middle East crisis are ineffective.
The European Union should propose a peace plan which involves all countries from the Middle East. The UEF considers that a peaceful solution of the crisis would consist in proposing a federal project to overcome the inter-community clashes on a long-term basis The European Union is an example of how states which have fought against each other in several wars can become good partners.
As regards the European Convention, it should overcome the weakness of the EU in the fields of foreign, security and defence policy. It should transform the EU into a real political union based on a European Constitution, with a federal government and the necessary means to implement its policies.
23 May 2002
European Commission should be EU executive European Parliament as only directly elected EU institution should elect President of the EU
The Union of European Federalists (UEF) welcomes the European Commission’s communication on the future of Europe presented to the European Convention on 22 May and its call for taking the lead in foreign affairs and economic policy. The UEF hopes that the European Commission and the European Parliament will build an alliance to push for ambitious EU reforms.
Nevertheless, the UEF regrets that the Commission has not clearly defined its position as regards the modalities of election of the President of the European Union. The federalists further criticize that certain EU governments favour a concentration of powers within the Council of Ministers and that Spanish prime minister José María Aznar proposes to give the European Council the powers of electing the EU President and dissolving the EP.
Jo LEINEN MEP, President of the UEF, declared “It is a question of democracy: the European Commission should be developed into a strong, independent and efficient executive, elected and controlled by the European Parliament.”
Finally, the UEF welcomes that small countries such as Finland are in favour of strengthening the role of the European Commission, and notes that only a European Federation of States and people can guarantee the interests of both big and small countries.
Contact: Bruno BOISSIERE, UEF European Secretary-General, Tel.: +32-2.508 30 32
The Union of European Federalists (UEF) is an independent, non-governmental, and supranational organisation dedicated to the promotion of a federal Europe. President : Jo LEINEN, MEP
3 Octubre 2002
New subsidiarity provisions should not make the EU more complicated
The Union of European Federalists has thrown down a challenge to members of the Convention when they meet on Friday morning to discuss subsidiarity. Anyone proposing a new institution or legislative procedure is challenged to answer the question: What laws have been passed that violate the principle of subsidiarity, and which your proposed new institution or legislative procedure would have prevented?
Bruno Boissière, European Secretary-General of the UEF, said: “Simplicity is a virtue in the European political process. The case for more complexity or bureaucracy in Brussels has to be proven, not the opposite.”
Issue 5 of the Federalist Letter to the European Constitutional Convention, published by the UEF today, argues: “Making a reality of the principle of subsidiarity is one of the most important tasks facing the Convention. But that task cannot be undertaken in isolation.”
“A European federal constitution would set out the role of the European Union, the powers of its institutions, and the rights of its citizens. A clear, simple statement is an essential step if the government of Europe is to be reconnected with the people of Europe. Let us not forget: simplicity is a virtue.
Notes for editor
The Union of European Federalists (U.E.F.) is an independent, non-governmental, and supranational organisation dedicated to the promotion of a federal Europe.
The “Federalist Letter” is issued by the Union of European Federalists as part of the “Campaign for a European Federal Constitution.
13 December 2002
The Bureau of the Union of European Federalists welcomes the second contribution of the European Commission to the European Convention
The Union of European Federalists welcomes President Prodi’s initiative of presenting a first complete draft constitution which has the great merit of showing the European public and the reluctant national governments that the outcome of the Convention can be a Constitution;
The UEF welcomes especially the confirmation of the specific nature of the European Union, being founded not only on the legitimacy of its member states, but also on those of the peoples;
The UEF congratulates the Commission :
- for having proposed fundamental changes that will make possible the escape from the deadend road of intergovernmentalism, like the elimination of unanimity and the adoption of decisions by the Council by double simple majority of the members states and the population,
- for having proposed the creation of the function of a Secretary of the Union, Vice-President of the Commission (for foreign and security policy), - for having mentioned neither the idea of the ‘Congress of the Peoples’ nor the possibility of intergovernmental actions within the Union that were introduced by the President of the Convention, nor the proposal of certain member states of establishing a long-term European Presidency; Furthermore, UEF is delighted by the proposal that the European Parliament should elect the President of the Commission.
On the other hand, UEF fears that the election by a two-third majority prevents the results of the European elections to be truly reflected and risks leading to agreements between the two ‘elephant’ groups of the European Parliament;
Finally, UEF welcomes the procedural proposals of the draft constitution presented by President Prodi on how to make an entering into force of the Constitution possible even if a small group of member states is not able to ratify the draft.