Brussels, 15 March 2024
On Tuesday 12 March, in Strasbourg at Cafè Michel, the Spinelli Group in the European Parliament in coordination with the Union of European Federalists (UEF) and together with UEF France and their partners in Alsace (Mouvement Européen and Les Jeunes Européen) organised an event focused on the importance of Treaty Change.
Among the speakers were Sandro Gozi, Chair of the Spinelli Group, Domenec Ruiz Devesa, MEP and UEF President and Spinelli Group Board Member,and Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield, MEP and Spinelli Group Board Member. The event was introduced by Hervé Moritz, President of the Mouvement Européen France.
The event is focused on Treaty reform and the European federalists’ campaign and actions towards it.
The European Union is currently not equipped to face global challenges and we must work towards an institutional reform which will allow it to.
“The challenges Europe is facing today are very similar to the ones that Altiero Spinelli and Robert Schuman were confronted with in 1945. The European Union must adopt extraordinary responses to unify our continent through a deep and ambitious reform of its institutions and of its policies.” said Sandro Gozi, Chair of the Spinelli Group.
Almost two years after the end of the Conference on the Future of Europe, where citizens gave a clear mandate for EU Treaty reform, a convention has yet to be conveyed. The event on the 12th was meant to revolve around the Commission’s Communication on Treaty Reform. However, the Communication has been yet again postponed.
“You can see the interest in institutional reform being found in parties’ manifestos for the European elections” said Domenec Ruiz Devesa, MEP and UEF President, “Yet when it comes to the Council, to the heads of state belonging to these same parties, there is no initiative.”
It is the duty of the Heads of State to follow the mandate given by citizens in the Conference on the Future of Europe and take action in opening a Convention.
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
- UEF Political Manifesto for the European Elections 2024 LINK
- Memorandum “Why we need a Convention to change the Treaties” LINK
- Letter sent to the President of the European Council, Charles Michel LINK
- Letter sent to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen LINK
- Letter to the members of the European Parliament LINK