Tuesday 28 March, 18:30 | Hybrid event European Parliament, room Spinelli 5G1 Rue Wiertz 60, 1000 Bruxelles
The event will be the occasion to present the federalists’ key demands on the future of Europe for a more sovereign and democratic Europe and advocate for a proper follow-up of the CoFoE.
In this view, will be presented the Petition to the Council of the European Union, proposed by the UEF together with the CoFoE Citizens’ Panel Ambassadors and with the support of the Spinelli Group. The petition urges the Council to respect the will of the citizens and the work of the Conference, instead of trying to stop the idea of an EU reform.
Board members of the Spinelli Group, including Daniel Freund MEP, rapporteur of the Proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties, have been invited to tell us about the engagements of the European Parliament in answering the recommendations of the CoFoE. Two citizen representatives to the CoFoE, Annemie De Clerck and Huub Verhoeven, will honour us with their participation.
Petros Fassoulas, Secretary-General of the European Movement International, Christa Schweng, President of the European Economic and Social Committee, Antonio Argenziano, President of the Young European Federalists, and Luisa Trumellini, Vice-President of the UEF and Secretary-General of the Movimento Federalista Europeo will expose the ambition of the civil society for a more sovereign and democratic Europe.
The discussions will be opened by Sando Gozi MEP, President of the UEF, and moderated by Antonella Valmorbida, Secretary-General of ALDA, the European Association for Local Democracy.
REPORT
On 28 March 2023, the Union of European Federalists (UEF), along with the Citizens’ Panel Ambassadors of the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE) and the Spinelli Group, the European Parliament’s Intergroup of federalists-minded MEPs, is launching a Petition to the Council of the European Union calling for the reform of European Treaties. The revision of the current Treaty is essential to implement the conclusions of the CoFoE.
The UEF is now calling on European citizens to support the unprecedented democratic exercise of the Conference on the Future of Europe by signing the petition. By pressuring the Council to deliver on the recommendations of the Conference, we will ensure a sovereign and democratic Europe where the will of citizens is duly acknowledged and respected.
Sandro Gozi, President of the UEF said: “The Council does not share the sense of urgency that History is asking of Europe today. We need Treaty revision and the Council is kicking the can down the road. We must put the Council in front of its responsibilities to answer to the citizens’ will.”
Context
The Conference on the Future of Europe, which run from May 2021 to May 2022, drafted a series of recommendations to policymakers. All European institutions promised to ensure a proper follow-up of these proposals. So far, only the European Parliament decisively endorsed the full implementation of the CoFoE recommendations in its 9 June 2022 resolution calling for a Convention to draft new European Treaties.
The Council of the European Union failed to act on the recommendations of the CoFoE citizens. In a complete breach of its duties, the Council is refusing to answer to the European Parliament’s initiative. The Council cannot arrogate to itself the power to block democratic processes. Democracy must prevail, and the UEFs stand with the citizens of the CoFoE to see their recommendations adopted to the fullest.
The petition will be presented today at the European Parliament in the presence of Citizens’ Panel Ambassadors of the CoFoE, MEPs, and representatives of the European civil society.
This video has been produced after the event