UEF Insider 1/2024

Welcome back to the first edition of the UEF Insider newsletter for 2024. In this edition, we take a closer look at our Treaty Reform Now campaign, the work towards the European Elections 2024, upcoming and past events and activities, and all the ways in which you can contribute.

Foreword by the President of the UEF, Domènec Ruiz Devesa

image - UEF — Domenec Ruiz Devesa, MEP and President of the UEF since July 2023

Dear Federalist friends,

Dear Federalist comrades,

We are living through a difficult time in European history, in which the European Union must readjust its institutional framework and its decision-making process to face the dramatic challenges that threaten its resilience. We have commemorated in many cities the second anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine (here our Press Release), which strenuously defends its freedom and with it that of Europeans, and the Middle East with each passing week an increasingly violent and unstable area. Finally, we watch with apprehension what happens in the USA with the risk of Trump's return to the presidency and the potential consequences for the future of European defence. And looking at Europe, we continue to see the damaging consequences of climate change and thus the need for a serious change of course in European industrial and infrastructure policy. This scenario makes an institutional reform of Europe even more necessary to tackle the many problems we face. In the past year, some fundamental steps have been taken. In November 2023, the European Parliament successfully approved the resolution calling for a Convention to reform the Treaties and activate Article 48 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU). Then, under the Spanish Presidency, the Council of the EU transmitted the European 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 March 2024 EUCO meeting. The EUCO Summit is the last one when there would be a possibility to do so before the European Elections.

Since December 2023, we've been calling for the inclusion of Treaty reform on the EUCO Agenda. Our quest for institutional reform continues. We had prepared a Memorandum, explaining why a Convention is the only feasible way forward, while simple procedures and accession adjustments to the Treatyare not up to the task . Many events in the past few years have shown that Europe is not ready to tackle the challengeswe face. With the second anniversary of the Invasion of Ukraine, we can just see this more clearly. Together with the Spinelli Group, European Movement International and Young European Federalists, we've been writing letters to the Presidents of the Commission and the Council. We will also be sending letters to the heads of state and governments. We will use all avenues to put pressure on policy makers to take this significant step and we will demostrate in the streets to show its importance. In this newsletter, you will find many useful tools to take political action at all levels - from the ordinary citizen to the government of a member country - and explain why it is necessary to open a Convention to reform the Treaties. I strongly encourage all of you to join us in our activities and actions and fight for the next step towards a Federal Europe. Yes to a more democratic Europe fully capable to act, Yes to a federal Europe.

Federalist regards

Domènec Ruiz Devesa

UEF Political Campaign

The European context

On 22 November, the European Parliament approved the report on proposals for amendment of the Treaties drafted by Spinelli Group members Guy Verhofstadt, Sven Simon, Gabriele Bischoff, Daniel Freund, and Helmut Scholz. The text received 291 votes in favour, 274 against and 44 abstentions.

The Treaty revision procedure pursuant to art. 48(2) TEU has thus formally been activated. In the following days, the Council submitted a request for Treaty revision to the European Council, attaching the detailed draft of the proposed Treaty amendments. Now 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.

UEF actions in view of the Convention for Treaty Change and for European Election 2024

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;
for the European elections, the UEF will engage with candidates, and mobilise citizens and civil society to rally support for a federal Europe;
to lobby the European institutions in particular the European Council and European Commission to convene a Convention (see here the letters sent to Charles Michel and to Ursula von der Leyen).

Past campaigns

March 2023 - Today | Petition to the Council of the EU UEF, together with the European Parliament and the Citizens of the CoFoE, calls for a Convention to reform the Treaties. Here
September-November 2023 | Let's make our support heard! UEF supported the AFCO report on proposal of treaty change to be voted on by the European Parliament. Here

Tools for campaigning

POLITICAL MANIFESTO "The Urgency of Overcoming the Current Treaties"

The manifesto is the basis for our political actions. The UEF has made a commitment to promote the contents of this manifesto among the European political families so that it can be included in their programmes.

MEMORANDUM "Why we need a convention to change the Treaties"

The proposal for reform of the Treaties approved by the European Parliament last November took up the conclusions of the Conference and translated them into proposals for amendments to the provisions of the Treaties. It is a comprehensive and far-reaching revision proposal, aimed at opening the ordinary revision procedure provided for in Article 48(2) TEU and thus at convening a Convention for this purpose.

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 political class with several communications and actions.

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. UEF Sections can translate this letters and send to their govemerment:

- DRAFT LETTER TO THE GOVERNMENTS: word LINK | pdf LINK

Individual volunteers can use or get inspired by this:

- NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS: Draft resolution word LINK | pdf LINK

- INDIVIDUAL MP letter, example LINK

Find all the details about the UEF Campaign here

LOGO FOR UEF CAMPAIGN DURING EUROPEAN ELECTIONS 2024

Download the logo and use in events or actions that are organizing in view of the European Elections. Download here:

Drive Folder with logo campaign

Coming soon

CANDIDATE MEPs Pledge & Social Media Action

In Spring, the European election campaign will start to get into full swing with the presentation of the electoral lists and candidates, UEF must start the political work with the candidates and with the citizens to make them understand what is at stake in this European vote.

Candidates will be asked to commit themselves, if elected, to a federal reform of the European Union and to give their availability to join the Spinelli Group.

TOOLS FOR ACTIONS TOWARDS CITIZENS & CIVIL SOCIETY

For the 2024 European elections, national and local sections need to mobilise in order to:

inform citizens about the importance of this European vote;
recommend citizens to vote for candidates who have signed the pledge.

Sections can organise also online and in-person events with political candidates from the various political families and challange them about the future of Europe and whether or not they will support treaty reform.

UEF Secretariat will provide:

website campaign;
visual graphics for banners, flyers, posters for the Saturdays For Europe
video pills to promote the main topics (realized in collaboration with EU Made Simple);
video pills about the Manifesto and about the pledge.

Network of Personalities

UEF started a discussion with the possibility to re-launch the Action Committee for the United States of Europe.

The 18th January the UEF and JEF celebrated with a public discussion to commemorate the first meeting of the said Committee, which Anniversary is taking place tomorrow.

ADVOCACY ACTIONS

Letter to Charles Michel, President of the EU Council from UEF, EMI, The Spinelli Group and JEF

The letter was sent on 19 February to the President of the EU Council, Charles Michel 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 the Memorandum.

Letter to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission from UEF, EMI, The Spinelli Group and JEF

The letter was sent on 19 February 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) togheter the Memorandum.

Letters to the Governments of the EU Member States

In the coming days the UEF in cooperation with the national sections will send a letter 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), and the National Section Representative to all member state governments asking them to support the opening of the Convention for Treaty Reform.

Letter to the European Parliament members

The letter was sent on 28 Febraury to the European Parliament members signed by Domenec Ruiz Devesa, MEP and President of the UEF, to present the Memorandum.

Participation of the European federalists in the PES and ALDE Congresses

As part of its advocacy action towards the European political families, the UEF will participate in the PES Congress (Rome, 2 March) with its own stand where it will meet delegates and observers and share the main political texts of our campaign. And we are in contact to participate in the ALDE Congress (Brussels, 20-21 March).

The European Letters (UEF COOPERATIONS)

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 for the year 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. The European Letter 77 is entitled Only a sovereign Europe can protect its citizens and its member states in the new phase of instability and global competition.

You can read it here.

NEXT EVENTS

Civil Society Week - Workshop UEF: National Heat, European Beat | 6 March 2024 Learn more here
PC1 Meeting "Why we need a Convention to change the Treaties?" | 7 March 2024, 17:30 - 18:30 Join here
Event with the Spinelli Group regarding Communication on Treaty Change | 12 March 2024 More details to follow
UEF action in view of EU Council | 21 March 2024 More details to follow
Extraordinary UEF Congress and UEF Federal Committee | 6 April 2024 Learn more and register here for the Congress and here for the FC