Published by AFCO the Draft Report on the Institutional aspects of the Report on the future of European Competitiveness (Draghi Report)
The Union of European Federalists welcomes the publication of the Draft Report on the Institutional Aspects of the Report on the Future of European Competitiveness, authored by MEP Brando Benifei (former Chair of the Spinelli Group) in his role as rapporteur for the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs.
This report builds on Mario Draghi’s comprehensive analysis of Europe’s competitiveness and delivers a strong political message: the EU’s ability to compete globally and safeguard its social, environmental, and democratic values depends on bold institutional reform.
The draft supports core federalist proposals, including:
- A shift towards stronger supranational governance,
"Supports the analysis that [...] all this can be achieved only if the EU urgently reorganises its institutional and economic governance, abandons fragmented national approaches and strengthens refocused, accelerated and simplified supranational decision-making at EU level, in order to act more efficiently and effectively where it matters most, as a true global actor."
(Point 2, General considerations)
2. Extension of qualified majority voting in key policy areas,
"Reiterates its call to go beyond unanimity and move as soon as possible to QMV and the ordinary legislative procedure in all policy fields, in order to have more streamlined and decisive decision-making, including on social, fiscal and economic policies, digitalisation, the green transition and defence."
(Point 8, Refocusing, accelerating and simplifying the work of the EU)
3. The establishment of a permanent EU fiscal capacity,
"Stresses the urgent need to establish a full and permanent fiscal capacity for the EU, building on the features of NextGenerationEU; highlights, in this regard, the importance of creating common European instruments, such as eurobonds, to finance strategic joint investments in European public goods and services."
(Point 22, Building a permanent European fiscal capacity)
4. Completion of the Single Market and the Capital Markets Union,
"Calls for the European single market to be completed and the remaining barriers to access to be overcome [...] and for economic growth, social, economic and territorial cohesion, and cultural exchange to be promoted within the EU."
(Point 16, Completing the European single market)
"Calls for the development of a European integrated capital market through a newly established SIU, building on the incomplete CMU [...], providing better financing opportunities for European companies while fostering the EU’s economic growth and competitiveness."
(Point 18, Completing the European single market)
5. A genuine European Energy Union and Defence Union,
"Calls [...] for a permanent European green sovereign fund, directly financed through EU own resources, a reformed European Investment Bank (EIB) [...] and a green transition authority within the Commission."
(Point 23, Shaping a European energy union)
"Calls [...] to achieve the goal of a European defence union, to overcome the fragmentation of the European defence industry and to improve the consistency between existing and future instruments, including at the level of governance, in order to ensure effective democratic control of the new defence union."
(Point 24, Creating a European defence union)
6. Treaty reform in line with the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
"Recalls the conclusions of the CoFE, in particular the need for treaty reform; and urges the Commission and the Council to take concrete and timely steps to follow up on these recommendations."
(Point 10, Refocusing, accelerating and simplifying the work of the EU)
Importantly, this work also reflects the active input of federalist experts. Giulia Rossolillo, Vice-President of the Union of European Federalists, Luca Lionello, Chair of UEF's Political Commission 1 on Federalist Strategy for a Federal Reform of the EU, and Alejandro Peinado, Secretary General of UEF Spain, all contributed to the preparatory work of the report. Their involvement is a concrete sign of the influence and relevance of the federalist movement in shaping the institutional future of the Union.
This draft report represents a major step forward for all who believe in a stronger, democratic, and sovereign Europe. It is now crucial for the European Parliament and Member States to act on its recommendations — and move forward with the political courage needed to complete the European project.
The Union of European Federalists reaffirms its full support for these proposals and calls on all European institutions to translate them into action.