P6_TA(2006)0263

Future steps in the period of reflection (European Council of 15- 16 June 2006)

European Parliament resolution on the next steps for the period of reflection and analysis on the Future of Europe

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe,

- having regard to its resolution of 12 January 2005 on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe [1],

- having regard to the Declaration of 18 June 2005 by the Heads of State or Government on the ratification of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, at the conclusion of the European Council of 16 and 17 June 2005,

- having regard to the conclusions of the European Council of 15 and 16 December 2005,

- having regard to its resolution of 19 January 2006 on the period of reflection: the structure, subjects and context for an assessment of the debate on the European Union [2],

- having regard to Rule 108(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas a real debate on the future of the European Union, involving both political actors and citizens, has been launched in some of the Member States, but a full debate has not yet been launched everywhere throughout the Union, in particular not in all the Member States which have not yet ratified the Constitutional Treaty,

B. whereas the institutions of the European Union are contributing to this debate by organising public discussion forums, including on-line forums, in their own working places, as well as at selected venues in the Member States, but the present Plan D for Democracy, Dialogue and Debate has not yet reached a wider public in the Union,

C. whereas, on 8 and 9 May 2006, a joint meeting of Members of the European Parliament and of the national parliaments of the Union's Member States opened the inter-parliamentary dimension of this debate,

D. whereas there is a strong need for this debate to reach citizens in all Member States, in particular in those which have not yet ratified the Constitutional Treaty and intend to hold a referendum before doing so,

E. whereas, on 9 May 2006, parliamentary approval of the Constitutional Treaty was achieved in Estonia and will soon, it is hoped, be accomplished in Finland,

F. whereas this would bring to 16 the number of countries that have ratified the Constitutional Treaty, while 2 are not in a position to do so because of the negative outcome of a referendum and others are hesitating to initiate or continue the ratification procedure, with the result that this process has since faltered in most of the remaining Member States,

1. Confirms its commitment to achieving a constitutional settlement for the European Union as quickly as possible as well as its endorsement of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe;

2. Warns against any attempts to unravel the global compromise achieved in the Constitutional Treaty as this would seriously call into question the European political project and create the risk of a weakened and divided Union; confirms, therefore, its opposition to the piecemeal implementation of parts of the constitutional package deal, as well as its opposition to the immediate creation of core groups of certain Member States as a way of circumventing the constitutional process for the Union as a whole;

3. Supports, on the other hand, those democratic improvements to institutional procedures that can be agreed under the terms of the existing EU Treaties, for example, improving transparency in the Council of Ministers, reforming the comitology agreement, use of the "passerelle" to QMV and codecision in the field of justice and home affairs, improving national parliamentary scrutiny and introducing a form of citizens' initiative;

4. Calls on the European Council to move from the period of reflection to a period of analysis extending to mid-2007, with a view to reaching a clear proposal as to how to proceed with the Constitutional Treaty no later than the second half of 2007;

5. Calls on the European Council to seek clear commitments from each Member State as to the ways and means by which it proposes to create and lead an open, Union-wide and structured public debate focusing on the key questions relating to the future of Europe during the extended period of reflection;

6. Asks the Commission to adjust its "Plan D" for the second phase of the period of reflection and to provide sufficient funding for the activities envisaged;

7. Calls on the European Council to invite the Member States which have not yet finalised the ratification procedures to work out, by the end of the reflection period, credible scenarios as to how they intend to take matters forward;

8. Suggests that the European Council develop an appropriate framework so as to enable a specific dialogue to take place as soon as the political calendar allows with the representatives of those countries in which the referendum on the Constitutional Treaty had a negative outcome in order to explore whether and under what conditions it would appear possible for them to resume the ratification procedure;

9. Calls on the Commission to endorse this approach and to present to the European Council a "roadmap" for implementing it in the best possible manner;

10. Draws the attention of the Commission to the fact that a constitutional order is essential in order to make the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union legally binding, build a European democracy and make the Union more capable of action and more social;

11. Calls on the Commission to draw up a study of the costs incurred as a result of the fact that the Constitutional Treaty will not enter into force as originally hoped on 1 November 2006;

12. Draws the following conclusions from the discussions with members of national parliaments of the Union's Member States which took place on 8 and 9 May 2006 in Brussels:

(a) the need to continue the constitutional process of the European Union, which is anchored in the concepts of peace and solidarity and other common values, has been confirmed;

(b) there is no doubt that the Member States of the Union will not be able to cope alone with the major political challenges facing Europe;

(c) it is generally recognised that the Constitutional Treaty would provide the European Union with an appropriate framework for addressing these challenges;

(d) a deeper analysis will be needed so as to allow proposals to be developed in 2007 which should lead to a settlement before the next European elections;

(e) the interparliamentary dialogue on the constitutional process in which the European Parliament and the parliaments of the Member States are partners is essential and needs to be continued; welcomes the announcement by the speaker of the Finnish Parliament that a second parliamentary forum will be held in December 2006;

(f) refers in this connection to its own proposals that the debates in the parliamentary forums should be organised in such a way as to enable an intensive and lively exchange to take place, aimed at achieving a consensus on the central issues relating to the future of Europe and on the way to proceed;

13. Reaffirms its objective that the necessary constitutional settlement should be ready when the citizens of the Union are called to the European elections in 2009;

14. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

[1] OJ C 247 E, 6.10.2005, p. 88.

[2] Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2006)0027.

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