To what extent is the reform of the EU's institutions critical to the future Union ?

Résumé du document

To prepare the inter-governmental conference of 2004, the Laeken European Council of December 15th, 2001 appointed Mr Valerie Giscard - D'Estaing, former President of the French Republic, to lead the Convention on the Future of Europe. Along with the intensification of integration, enlargement or "widening? is the new challenge for EU achievement. Indeed, if we look back to the history, four official enlargements have taken place since the year 1958.

Extraits

[...] Moreover, when small countries holds presidency, the EU lacks credibility in the USA, Russia or China. The European Council should then appoint a Foreign Policy permanent Representation, associating the High Representative for Foreign Policy and the external Relations Officer.[45] The Foreign policies in the EU are often carried out individually and with some conflicting objectives as they influence other countries. These policies have to be discussed taking into account trade, aid migration and border policies to achieve an overall diplomatic strategy.[46] The implementation of genuine common policies in the field of immigration and asylum right are part of the goals of the Union. [...]

[...] Will it be therefore an economic union or a true political entity, endowed with a genuine decision- making power? 2 Institutions and Decision-making process 1 Reforming the European Council and the Council of Ministers The six-monthly European Council has been criticised for not being able to deal with complex decision-making and long-term problems.[8] These minor issues are blamed for wasting the time of Prime Ministers and the Presidency of the Union. The Council for European Reform proposes to create a “Council of Prime Representatives”. [...]

[...] But, what are the arguments that show that such a reform of the EU's institutions is critical to the future Union? We will first observe to what extent the Institutions state is hampering EU's political influence. Then, we will have a look at some examples of the impact of the reform in the economic field. Eventually, we will study the difficulties of implementation on the social ground implied by the integration of prospective member countries from Eastern Europe. Political implications of the EU institutions reform One objective of the Institutions reform since the 50's has been to establish the European Union as a political entity.[4] The so-called “political dwarf” would like to speak with a single voice in the frame of international meetings European Union future at stake To achieve EU enlargement, it will indeed be indispensable to improve the efficiency of decision-making, and to guarantee the democratic transparency of the Institutions.[5] The Convention has to study such areas as: better division and definition of competence in the EU Simplification of the Union's instruments More democracy, transparency and efficiency : the reweighting of votes (See Appendix Towards a Constitution for European citizens”[6] Could we refer to a European Community; a single market, a European Union; with free circulation of goods, services, capitals and people, or to the solution of the “United States of Europe”, a new entity close to a federal system. [...]

[...] The EU will become more difficult to govern, because it will be larger and more diverse.[21] Eastern enlargement will certainly foster the competition for influence, with intensifying fights over scarce economic resources as the EU enlarged further.[22] This implies that an institutional reform is all the more at stake. An equal and fair treatment of each one will have to be adopted. According to European Commission President Mr. Prodi, it is also necessary to include number of major issues ( . ) so that not only do we take in new members, but we take them into a Union which is strengthened by enlargement and not weakened by it." That is the main point of the institutional reform. [...]

[...] Influence of the Institutions reform on the Social ground 13 A. A closer Union The regress of technocrats 13 B. New Foreign policies 13 C. Co-ordination of Development Policies 14 CONCLUSION 16 Introduction T o prepare the inter-governmental conference of 2004, the Laeken European Council of December 15th appointed Mr Valerie Giscard - D'Estaing, former President of the French Republic, to lead the Convention on the Future of Europe. The committee has been carrying out since March 1st 2002, the study of the reform of EU's institutions.[2] The extension of qualified majority voting the reweighting of votes in the Council, the size and composition of the Commission are issues that the Convention has to solve. [...]