Dear Europeans,

The meeting of the Convention in plenary on 15-16 April discussed a variety of topics, including changes to the procedures of the Convention, particularly regarding the involvement of the candidate countries. The main topic of debate was “The Missions of Europe”, and on Tuesday morning the proposed Youth Convention was also discussed. The focus is now moving away from fine speeches towards concrete initiatives. On Monday 15 April, Andrew Duff MEP presented his own draft preamble and articles for a European Constitution. Andrew Duff, who chairs the Liberal caucus within the Convention and is a member of the Convention Constitution Intergroup, stressed that a federal Constitution is necessary to refresh the Community method and entrench democracy in the Union. You can find more information on this below. Alain Lamassoure MEP, also a member of the Convention Constitution Intergroup, presented on 18 April his report on competences from the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the EP.

“Which new missions?
First, to contribute to peace, to development, to prosperity. Europe has to exist and to have a weight on the world scene. Srebrenica or the genocide in Rwanda: never again. There is a need for a European foreign policy and European defence, for the Europeans and also for the rest of the world. The Union must be able to speak with a single voice, to act with a single “elan”, and if necessary to make war. Those of the states who would disagree should not prevent action, nor should they compelled to act.

To be loved and appreciated, we should not work only on the institutions. Let’s hear the voice of those who underline, like Chris Patten, the need for an emotional link to the Union. Its co-citizens ignore almost everything about it, beginning with the exact list of its member states. […] Let’s dare to be naïve and generous.“

Olivier Duhamel
Intervention in plenary – 15.04.2002

Q: What are your general expectations for the Convention?

A: My maximum expectation would be a first European constitutional text. Maybe not the final version of the future shape of Europe, but a valid one. And for that I require three essential elements of a real constitution:

Firstly we need a true European democracy, a kind of republican basic order. But one must understand, that we are not trying to solve the debate about the finality of Europe. We are primarily aiming at the fulfilment of the principals of democracy in the supranational field. That’s a historical challenge, especially considering that democracy was always connected exclusively to the nation state. This objective involves as well the full legal imbedding of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the abolition of the second and third pillar, full competence for the European Court of Justice, a proper administration, and a European party statute. All in all a wide range, reaching from a reformed institutional order, a system of checks and balances, and separation of powers, to public legislation and legal binding of the administration. The whole spectrum of our European political heritage.

The Convention met in plenary on 15 and 16 April. This session saw a host of developments in the working practices of the Convention, including the nomination of Lojze Peterle of Slovenia as the representative of the candidate countries on the Presidium. Although he will have no voting right, he will from now on be a full participant in the work of the Presidium. The inclusion of a representative from a candidate country on the Presidium was not foreseen in the Laeken Declaration, and this development demonstrates two things: that the Convention is developing its own dynamic, and that the candidate countries are determined to play a full part in the work of the Convention.

The Presidium has also established a system to allow members from candidate countries to speak in their own languages. So far, provision has been made for members from Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovenia to speak in their own languages, and other candidate countries may follow suit if they choose. The Presidium and the European Parliament are to be congratulated for their flexibility in finding a solution to this, which will allow the citizens of candidate countries greater access to the proceedings of the Convention and a stronger sense of having a part to play in the future of Europe. The Presidium also introduced a mechanism to allow debate between Convention members. The predetermined speakers list is now to be interrupted after every fifth speaker to allow for short interventions from the floor. This new system should contribute towards a more lively and interactive debate as the Convention proceeds. The tone of this week’s discussions was more concrete and specific than previous sessions, marking the extent to which Convention members are now moving away from fine rhetoric and starting to focus on the real issues.

Art. 2 Treaty on the European Union (Title I, Common Provisions)

„The Union shall set itself the following objectives:

to promote economic and social progress and a high level of employment and to achieve balanced and substainable development, in particular through the creation of an area without internal frontiers, through the strengthening of economic and social cohesion and through the establishment of economic and monetary union, ultimately including a single currency in accordance with the provisions of this Treaty;

European Liberal Democrat Member of the Convention Andrew DUFF has tabled the first proposals for articles of the Constitution of the European Union. These were presented by him to the meeting of the Convention on 15-16 April.

Mr DUFF, Vice-President of the European Parliamentary delegation to the Convention, publishes three draft articles and a preamble to a constitutional treaty for a Federal Union. The articles set out the objectives of the Union, criteria for its good governance and its competencies.

On 15 April 2002, Convention Members from various political backgrounds came together to found the Intergroup European Constitution within the Constitutional Convention. An Intergroup is an informal, cross-party discussion forum on a specific subject, an example being the very successful and well-known Intergroup "European Constitution" within the European Parliament.

As Alain Lamassoure MEP explained in the first meeting, the Intergroup aims at being an open forum for all Convention Members and Observers who support an Constitutional initiative as a result of the ongoing Convention.

The European Convention discussed this week the text presented by the Presidium on the Youth Convention.

The Youth Convention will take place in Bruxelles, 9-14 July.

The Young European Federalists welcome the launch of the Convention as an opportunity to secure an effective reform of the European Union.

We believe that the only solution for a more democratic, transparent, and effective Union, able to meet the challenges of enlargement, is the establishment of a European Federation. Thus we demand that the Convention takes the initiative to draft a genuine federal Constitution for the whole of Europe.

The Young Europeans-France, the French section of the Young European Federalists, publishes a monthly newsletter in French dedicated to the actuality of the Convention.

Under the title « PARCE QUE L'AVENIR DE L'EUROPE CONCERNE CHACUN D'ENTRE NOUS ! », this newsletter gives an overview of the news on the Convention, presents the activities of the Young Europeans around the Convention and offers background informations on the debatte on the Future of Europe and the Convention.

You can subscribe to this newsletter through http://www.jeunes-europeens.org

We inform you today on the latest developments around the Convention on the Future of the European Union and give you an overview on YEPP’s involvement as well as opportunities for your organisations.

State of play – The “listening” phase

In the first phase of its work the Convention intends to listen to the 'Civil Society'. A number of platforms, contact groups and other gatherings have been and are being formed in Brussels trying to advise the Members of the Convention and gain access to public hearings or informal meetings.