France and the European Commission would like to renegotiate the EU’s systems of power. “The EU can be developed without opening up the treaties,” says Tytti Tuppurainen, Minister for Europe.
The northern and eastern EU countries fear that the large member states will use the crises of recent years as a seam to strengthen their power in the EU.
France, Italy and Germany want to renegotiate the rules of the game in European decision-making. EU Parliament (moving to another service) and the Commission are in favor of opening up the Treaties, as the interest rate pandemic and the war in Ukraine have changed the situation in Europe.
The subject rose to wallpaper when the French president Emmanuel Macron proposed a reform of the system of power on Monday.
On the same day, 13 small countries announced common position (moving to another service), according to which the opening of the Treaties of the Union is not desirable at this stage. However, the countries, including Finland, emphasize that they do not yet rule out any alternatives.
If the treaties were to be opened up, for example, foreign policy, sanctions or the harmonization of corporate taxes could in future be decided by a qualified majority of member states. Unanimity is now required.
A qualified majority means that 55% of the Member States, representing at least 65% of the EU population, will support the proposal.
The electoral system may also be new. In the future, Finns may also vote for Irish or Swedish candidates, read more here.
It is noteworthy that this time the Dutch and Austria, who were often hostile to the reforms, have not registered as opponents.
A simple majority of the member states, ie 14 of the 27 EU countries, will suffice to start new institutional negotiations.
Tuppurainen: A difficult process
In last year’s EU report, the Finnish government has outlined that the Union can be developed without opening up the treaties, Minister for Europe Tytti Tuppurainen (sd.) says.
– It would be a difficult, long and uncertain process.
“Right now, determined efforts are needed to support Ukraine, reduce its energy dependence, achieve its climate goals, strengthen the EU’s defense cooperation and crisis resilience, and safeguard the Union’s common values,” Tuppurainen writes in a message sent to from Washington.
In Tuppurainen’s opinion, the current treaties provide a good framework for this.
What does renewal mean?
In Macron’s vision, qualified majority voting must become more common in “key policy areas.” The President of the Commission has agreed Ursula von der Leyen.
EU researcher Timo Miettisen believes that the reformers have two main policy objectives: the economy and security. In these, reformers see the current EU treaties as hindering development work.
– It is thought that the road to small reforms has been completed and, for example, economic architecture must be thought of in a broader sense, Miettinen says.
Since the beginning of the corona pandemic, the EU has had to resort to exceptions, once policies have been adapted to the crisis. For example, the regulatory framework of the Growth and Stability Pact is still on the shelf.
According to Miettinen, the past ten years of crises have shown that there is a need in the EU for even greater reforms than the “small shifts” that have now been seen.
– Substitute arrangements have had to be made. In the absence of an agreement on a common fiscal policy, the European Central Bank has had to play a greater role. When an agreement on a common asylum policy has not been reached, it has had to be outsourced to Turkey, Miettinen lists examples.
Citizens’ ideas in the background
Macron of France opened the game on Monday, when the public consultation, or “Conference of the Future”, was completed. In this year-long project, people from different countries were allowed to put forward reforms.
Some of the proposals of the Future Conference would require amendments to the EU Treaties. However, that was not the original purpose of the Future Conference, points out EK’s leading expert who was involved in the work Janica Ylikarjula.
– There is really a lot that could be done to reform the EU without opening the agreements, he says. According to Ylikarjula, only 12% of the proposals were such that the articles of the treaties should be amended.
A new community for Ukraine
Macron also presented a new alliance on Monday, as if on the EU’s perimeter. Such a “European political community” would be formed especially for Ukraine but also for the countries of the Western Balkans awaiting EU membership negotiations.
Through a “European political community”, countries geographically close to the EU could join the same community of values without a long process of EU membership. Also for example Belgium supports (switch to another service) ideaa.
According to Minister for European Affairs Tuppurainen, Finland has not yet formed a position in such a new outer circle of the EU. According to Tuppurainen, it is important to take advantage of the current EU and Ukraine association agreement (you move to another service) opportunities for deepening cooperation in the short term.
– We are having an active debate at various levels on what President Macron’s “European political community” could mean in practice. With regard to membership, it is clear that every EU country must meet the membership criteria, Tuppurainen writes in his reply to .
According to Timo Miettinen, it would take at least ten years for Ukraine to go through the entire membership process.
Enlargement has become a key theme, especially due to Ukraine’s application for membership. We want to help it in every way because it is seen as fighting for European values. The aim is to get Ukraine on the side of the EU as soon as possible in order to strengthen its place in Europe.
Small countries have long been concerned about a Europe that is evolving at a different pace.
– I am well aware of the fears associated with a multi-paced Europe, Macron said. However, he said, hesitant and hesitant member states should not be allowed to “slow down Europe”.
Initiated by France and Germany
According to experts, European power structures could go new as a result of German-French “consultations”.
On Europe Day, Macron recently received support for reforms from the German Chancellor Olaf Scholziltaalthough this is not yet Flag for the opening of agreements.
Scholz and Macron agreed that the situation required vigorous decisions. They are launching a “Franco-German engine” to deepen European integration.
According to Scholz, the reform of the articles can only be started when there is sufficient support for the project from other countries.
“The partnership and friendship between Germany and France is more important than ever as the engine and source of inspiration for the European project,” Scholz said at a news conference alongside Macron.
The gentlemen said they would start ministerial-level talks immediately after the French parliamentary elections in early July. The goal is a “stronger and more sovereign EU”.
“The time is bad”
Janica Ylikarjula of the business community considers the time for opening contracts to be bad. As the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine begin to show, the unity of the EU will be put to the test in any case.
– If negotiations on contract changes were to be launched, it would only confuse the pattern, Ylikarjula says.
In his view, reform should now proceed in a pragmatic way, ie first listing what is being sought and then deciding what changes it will require.
Opening contracts is a laborious process. However, Ylikarjula believes that work will start when large countries drive it.
You can discuss the topic on Thursday evening 12.5. until 11 p.m.