Rome, 2 march 2024 | The UEF Secretariat attended the extraordinaty Congress of European Socialist Party that voted on the political manifesto for the European elections and the common candidate, the Spitzenkandidat, Nicolas Schimt.
Members of the European Federalist Movement (UEF Italy) and European Federalist Youth (JEF Italy) also participated with their banner "It is time to do the United States of Europe" and presenting their political documents.
UEF Secretary General Luisa Trumellini handed over the UEF political documents to the common candidate Nicolas Schmit.
Throughout the congress, participants were invited to send a message to EU Council President Charles Michel: "Dear President Charles Michel, we urge the EUCO to launch the Convention to reform the Treaties", using the frame of the political campaign of the UEF.
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We point out that the PES Political Manifesto, on page 19, advocates treaty reform:
"Enlargement must go hand in hand with a serious assessment of what reforms of the EU architecture are needed, for a more efficient and democratic Europe that is more transparent and closer to its citizens.
- On this basis, we will use the next parliamentary term to strengthen the EU’s capacity to act in an enlarged Union, with targeted Treaty changes.
- We need to empower the European Parliament and the European Commission with tools to safeguard our democracy, strengthen our economy, protect our environment and our social model."
The European Letter is back.
The European Letter is published in 7 languages - from this edition - under the auspices of the Luciano Bolis European Foundation in cooperation with the Union of European Federalists.
The European Letter is a periodical publication started in 1997 with the aim of stimulating political debate in national parliaments and governments, and in the European Parliament.
The European Letter 77 entitled "Only a sovereign Europe can protect its citizens and its member states in the new phase of instability and global competition", is sent to parliamentarians in the following legislative bodies:
- European Parliament
- Bundestag
- Parliament of the French Republic
- Parliament of the Italian Republic
- Cortes generales (Spanish Parliament)
- Nationalrat (Austrian Parliament)
- Belgian Federal Parliament
- Hellenic Parliament
- Parlamentul României
The European Letter 77 recall that on November 22nd, the European Parliament initiated the procedure for changing the EU Treaties. It is now up to the European Council to convene a Convention to discuss in detail the reform project of the European Union.
The European Letter has also pointed out the Memorandum Why we need a Convention to change the Treaties (LINK).
We publish here the letter signed by the UEF President MEP Domenec Ruiz Devesa sent today to his fellow MEPs to present the Memorandum Why we need a Convention to change the treaties.
Brussels, 22 Febraury 2024
Dear Members of the European Parliament,
On 22 November 2023, the European Parliament adopted its proposal to amend the Treaties and triggered the procedure of Article 48(2) of the Treaty on European Union.
The EP request has been forwarded by the Council of the European Union to Charles Michel according to the decision taken in the meeting on 18 December 2023. It is now up to the governments to open a discussion on our request to launch a Convention and make a decision.
Yet this item has not been put on the European Council Agenda so far. Moreover there are persistent voices proposing to circumvent the Convention and use the simplified procedures provided for in the Treaties to change certain aspects of the EU's decision-making system, also with a view to enlargement.
Taking all of this into account we send you our Memorandum where we outline the legal and political procedure through which Treaty change can be achieved. It explains clearly why, if we want to make the EU capable of acting effectively in those matters where we need to be united as Europeans, a true and coherent reform of the Treaties is necessary and we have no other option but the opening of a Convention.
A Convention is also the only way to meet the requirements and demands of citizens expressed in previous processes such as the Conference on the Future of Europe. If, on the other hand, governments will only try to touch marginal points of our system, moreover through non-public diplomatic negotiations, they will betray the trust of citizens and democracy.
We encourage you to distribute the Memorandum further and push for the change Europe needs.
Yours faithfully,
Domènec Ruiz Devesa
President of the Union of European Federalists
Member of the European Parliament
Today marks the second year of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. On this important date for Europe and the besieged country, the European federalists want to reiterate their support to Ukraine and its people.
One more year of war and immense loss has passed. Russia showcased yet again its disregard towards human rights and basic human dignity, committing war crimes against Ukraine and atrocities against its own citizens who dared take a stand against Putin’s regime.
The EU has a historical and moral responsibility to ensure peace in the area. Yet we saw once again how limited the current institutional framework is, where one man’s personal political interest can halt for months necessary sanctions and funding. Looking at the historical progress on Enlargement we have made so far, we also have to look at the reform the EU itself needs and the necessary changes its institutions, to bring the EU project to its next step. To stand with Ukraine now, and provide security to all current and future European citizens, the EU must become the kind of Union envisaged by the Conference on the Future of Europe, and moved forward by the Parliament's proposal for a Convention.
For the past months we have seen a raise in scepticism regarding Ukraine’s chances to win. This is a situation of our own making, where our frameworks do not allow for effective actions. Ukraine is currently shielding the whole of Europe against Russian onslaught at the cost of its own people’s lives and livelihoods. We must not give up on supporting them.
‘The Union of European Federalists remains committed to seeing a victorious Ukraine join the European Union.’ said Domènec Ruiz Devesa, UEF President.
UEF has and will continue to support Ukraine and its people through whichever means possible. With this occasion we are inviting everyone to join us for the march organized by Promote Ukraine in Brussels tomorrow 25 February and to watch our intervention with Promote Ukraine at the podcast organised by the YouTube channel The EU Made Simple.
LINKS AND REFERENCES
- PR | European Federalists welcome historic vote on EU Treaty reform LINK
- PR | Time for the European and national leaders to seize the urgency for Treaty reform LINK
- Memorandum "Why we need a Convention to change the Treaties" LINK
We publish here the letter sent today to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in view of the European Council of 21-22 March and co-signed by Domenec Ruiz Devesa MEP and President of the Union of European Federalists (UEF), Sandro Gozi chair of the Spinelli Group, Guy Verhofstadt President of the European Movement International (EMI) and Christell Savall President the Young European Federalists (JEF).
With the letter is include also as attachament the Memorandum “Why we we need a Convention to change the Treaties”
We publish here the letter sent today Charles Michel, President of the EU Council, in view of the European Council of 21-22 March and co-signed by Domenec Ruiz Devesa MEP and President of the Union of European Federalists (UEF), Sandro Gozi chair of the Spinelli Group, Guy Verhofstadt President of the European Movement International (EMI) and Christell Savall President the Young European Federalists (JEF), together with a memorandum on the Treaty revision procedures.
With the letter is include also as attachament the Memorandum “Why we we need a Convention to change the Treaties”
STATEMENT OF THE SPINELLI GROUP
14 FEBRUARY 1984 - 14 FEBRUARY 2024
Today the federalist-minded members of our intergroup, celebrate the 40th anniversary of the approval by the Plenary of the European Parliament of the Draft Treaty establishing the European Union promoted and strongly pursued by Altiero Spinelli.
The Draft Treaty adopted by the European Parliament 40 years ago laid the foundations for the emergence of the first nucleus of a true European federation, starting with the Economic and Monetary Union. According to that, the European institutions would have had economy-related competences and powers, albeit limited, to govern the nascent European Union on a federal basis. In a world dominated by bipolar confrontation, and in a European continent divided by the Iron Curtain, Spinelli led the European Parliament to support a project capable of giving Europe the instruments of acting as a sovereign and autonomous global player.
40 years from that moment, we are honouring the legacy of Spinelli. Under the advocacy of the Spinelli Group, the European Parliament has put forward in November 2023, a historic proposal for the reform of the Treaties. Without a federal Europe, without new competences and without more democratic and effective decision-making procedures, the whole integration process launched in 1950 is in jeopardy.
The Board of the Spinelli Group reiterates its motivation to promote the European Parliament’s proposal for the reform of the Treaties as the cornerstone of a new constituent moment for Europe, which will soon enter a new crucial electoral phase, until the 6-9 of June. Therefore, we demand the European Heads of States and of Governments to discuss and to take a position on the Parliament’s proposal during the March EUCO, so that the convention for the revision of the Treaties can be launched after the next European elections. 40 years after the adoption of the Spinelli Project, we live up to the heritage and example of the father of European federalism.
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