FEDERALIST VOICE, the network of 13 European organisations in favour of a European Federal Constitution, examined the Draft of Articles 1 to 16 to the Constitutional Treaty proposed by the Praesidium of the European Convention which is on the agenda of the plenary session of the European Convention on 27-28 February.

Having regard to its priorities aiming at giving Europe democratic foundations and the capacity to act effectively, the European Network FEDERALIST VOICE considers the Praesidium’s draft to be minimalist and makes the following concrete requests to the Convention :

· to amend Article 1.1 so that the Constitution establishes a Union which “exercises its common competences on a federal basis and coordinates the policies of the Member States”;

· to support all amendments to Article 7.2 of Convention members referring to the Charter of Fundamental Rights as part of the Constitution in relation to citizens’ rights and duties, and to extend the citizens’ right to vote and to stand as a candidate in elections to national and regional parliaments in their Member States of residence ;

· to amend Articles 10.3 and 13.1 so that “the Union shall coordinate the economic, social, fiscal and employment policies of the Member States; it shall establish broad guidelines for these policies”; to amend Article 13.2 so that “The Union and the Member States shall conduct their economic, social, fiscal and employment policies taking account of the common interest, …” ;

· to add in Article 11.1 the financing of the EU budget to the exclusive competences of the Union;

· to amend Articles 10.4 and 14 so that “the Union shall have competence to define and implement a common foreign, security and defence policy” and so that “Member States shall actively and unreservedly support the Union’s common foreign, security and defence policy in a spirit of loyalty and mutual solidarity”.

Generally speaking, the FEDERALIST VOICE Network expects more ambition from the Convention and no constitutional provision which would be incompatible with federalist principles. FEDERALIST VOICE asks the Convention to give up using convoluted phrases which are obscure for the citizens; they may belong in intergovernmental treaties but have no place in the future European constitution.

Federalist Voice (see hereafter the list of participating organisations)

Participating Organisations

European Association of Teachers

European Left

European League for Economic Cooperation

European Movement

European Young Socialists

Intergroup European Constitution within the European Parliament

International Federation of Europe Houses

Liberal and Radical Youth Movement of the EU

Permanent Forum of Civil Society

Promeuro

Réalités Européennes du Présent

Union of European Federalists

Young European Federalists