THE UEF POLICY: WHAT WE WANT AND WHY

A federal Constitution for Europe!

The foundation of the UEF Campaign has been the demand that the existing Treaties underlying the European Communities and Union should be replaced by a federal Constitution for Europe. This 'new' European Union should obtain its legitimacy from both its citizens and its member states.

A citizens' Europe!

UEF has demanded that the Charter of Fundamental Rights worked out by the Fundamental Rights Convention in the year 2000 should become a centrepiece of the new Constitution, guaranteeing and protecting the citizens' rights and freedoms thus making it legally binding. However, as long as the draft Constitution for Europe, which includes the Charter of Fundamental Rights, has not been ratified the Charter has no clear legal status.

A democratic Europe!

UEF has demanded that the European Union should have one single and unitary structure, the same decision-making procedures applying to all policy areas. The complicated pillar-structure has to be abandoned. The EU institutional design must respect its character as a Union of citizens and member states and follow the principles of democratic accountability, transparency, balance and separation of powers, responsiveness, fair representation of all citizens and member states, efficiency and effectiveness. The current institutional triangle of the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the European Commission does not follow these principles and needs to be comprehensively reformed. The enlargement to 27 member states makes these reforms even more urgent. Respecting the above mentioned principles the functions and the composition of the five major EU institutions should be developed in the following direction...

More co-decision for the European Parliament

The European Parliament must be given the right of co-decision on all EU legislation and on the whole of the EU budget, both income and expenditure. The distribution of the EP seats to the member states should take place on the basis of the principle one voter - one vote, with a minimum number of seats guaranteed for the representatives of the citizens in the smallest member states.

The Council: a true co-legislator

The Council should be transformed into the second chamber of the EU double majority voting should be introduced for all issues. Double majority legislature deciding - in public sessions - on all legislation and the budget together with the European Parliament, and should give up all its executive functions. In the Council jority presupposes that any decision to be taken will need to be supported by a majority of member states representing the majority of the Union's population. The right of veto for a single member state should be abandoned.

The European Council: a new advisory role

The European Council should in the future refrain from any interference in the daily business of the Union and the legislative and budgetary procedures. It should take over the role of a collective Presidency of the Union and hold general discussions on the overall development of the integration process.

European Commission: the government for Europe

The European Commission should be responsible for all executive business of the Union including the external representation of the EU in Foreign and Security policy matters and in international organisations. This means transforming the Commission into a true European Government. To enhance the democratic legitimacy the Commission president should be elected by the European Parliament directly after the EP elections.

Extended areas of competences for the European Court of Justice

The jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice should be extended to all policy areas of the Union. The ECJ must become the real Constitutional Court of the Union. These proposed reforms would make the EU decision making process more transparent and responsive to the needs of the European citizens, enhance the democratic legitimacy of the EU institutions and foster a public debate on the EU. The provisions on the distribution of competences between the EU and the member states would allow the Union to concentrate on the matters where there is real added value by common EU activity.

An effective external policy

The European Union has an important contribution in bringing peace, democracy, security and welfare to our world. The basic principles of EU External policy should include those laid down in the Charter of the United Nations and other fundamental international conventions: peace, human rights, democracy, good governance and sustainable development.

The external policy of the EU must be based on a preventive strategy, particularly helping to tackle the problems of the developing world such as the fight against poverty, illiteracy, the implementation of human rights, the establishment of democracy, the responsible use of natural resources and means of attracting more investment for sustainable economic development. All EU military actions, especially those involving the use of force, must at all times pay full regard to the UN Charter. The military capabilities of the EU should also be made available for UN operations.

The EU must speak with one voice in the world concerning all matters for which the Union has competence. The Commission should therefore become exclusively responsible for executing the external policies of the Union.