The debate about EU Treaty change is back (programme below).
The EU project is confronted with a radical new context: war on the continent, geopolitical rivalry, climate emergency, cost of living rising, pandemic experience, tensions about migration, misinformation disturbing the democratic debate and a new enlargement in preparation.
The need for stronger European capacity to act is obvious on all these fronts, and the current Lisbon Treaty shows its limits. The time has come to reassess it and identify some targeted changes.
This was also the conclusion of the recent Conference on the Future of Europe, as some of the aspirations identified by citizens can only be met with targeted Treaty changes. Reflecting on these citizens’ aspirations and one year and a half of hard work later, the European Parliament is about to vote on a key report of this legislature, calling for a European Convention to work on updating the European Treaties. This call will be formally addressed by the European Parliament to the European Council in its plenary session in November.
In the run-up to this, the Symposium on “EU Treaties – Why they need targeted changes” will take place on 16 November. Among the speakers, the S&D Members of the European Parliament subscribing to the EP report, as well as some of the authors of an upcoming report on the topic from FEPS.
For information and registration, please write to Christian Salm, Head of the FEPS President’s Office christian.salm@feps-europe.eu (including name/surname, ID/Passport number, ID expiration date and birthdate).
The event will be web streamed on the S&D website.
Programme
09:00 – 09:15 INTRODUCTION
- Iratxe García Pérez, S&D President
09:15 – 10:30 REFORMING THE INSTITUTIONAL ARCHITECTURE
Chair: Gaby Bischoff, S&D Vice-President
- Jo Leinen, Former MEP and Chair of the AFCO Committee
- Giovanni Grevi, Senior Fellow, CSDS, Brussels School of Governance
- Stefan Collignon, Professor London School of Economics
- Domènec Ruiz Devesa, MEP S&D Group
10:30 – 11:45 STRENGTHENING THE EU’s POLICY CAPACITY TO ACT
Chair: Maria Joao Rodrigues, FEPS President
- Mercedes Bresso, MEP S&D Group
- Guillaume Klossa, Executive President of Europa Nova
- Robin Hugenoet-Noël, European University Institute
- Vytenis Andriukaitis, Former European Commissioner for Health and Food Security
11:45 – 12:00 CONCLUDING REMARKS
- Gaby Bischoff, S&D Vice-President
- Maria Joao Rodrigues, FEPS President
