The paper

Beyond Nice – Perspectives on the Reform Convention of the European Union

is the joint work of the fellows of the Master of European Studies Programme at the Center for European Integration Studies (ZEI).

Subdivided into six chapters, this paper deals with some of the challenges the EU faces, highlighting several that are being discussed in the Reform Convention.

After a brief introduction with a preview of the core topics of the paper, considerations concerning the European integration process and the upcoming enlargement in May 2004,  and the work of the Convention, chapter two starts off with a discussion around one of the most central and discussed topics: the vertical allocation of competences in the EU. The question here is nothing less than that of European finalité. 

Here, along with defining the positions of the European Parliament (EP) and the European Court of Justice (ECJ), the paper reveals the possible benefits of a clear allocation of powers and presents the policy options and reform proposals under consideration in the area of the principle of subsidiarity. A final remark states how the Convention has not sufficiently dealt with this principle and claims more judicial weight for it.

In the following section, the debate about representation and decision-making, especially with regard to enlargement, is presented. Democracy, efficiency and transparency are the EU’s proclaimed goals for the decision-making procedures; but the question is asked whether or not can we reach them simultaneously. This chapter gives some ideas and discusses the best and most viable instruments that will most efficiently improve representation and decision-making. Feasibility with regard to a possible consensus of all players involved is determined by the consideration of sensitive fields like the extension of co-decision, qualified majority voting or the question of the Presidency and the Commission’s right of initiative.

Chapter four deals with Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). It summarizes briefly the main objectives and weaknesses of the current CFSP situation and addresses the fellows’ proposal for the future. In order to counterweight the heterogenous national persepctives, it is suggested that the President of the Commission be made responsible for this policy field, with the European Council still occupying the highest rank in CFSP matters. The fellows are fully aware of the fact that this constitutes a crucial change at the first level of governance. Continuing on to the Franco German Proposal (which was tabled at the moment of writing the paper) the paper considers the implications it has for CFSP. ‘The way ahead’ then gives an outlook to the future and makes clear that a variety of obstacles must be overcome, especially the different national opinions, in order to arrive at a real common foreign and security policy. This inherently requires Europe speaking with one voice.

In the paper’s final part, fundamental rights, values and identity were discussed, along with the recognition of conflicting views within the Convention in regards to the mentioning of Christian roots and God in the preamble of the Constitution. The fellows pose here the question about what shall happen to the Charter of Fundamental Rights and occupy themselves with the broad field of a European identity and cultural diversity. 

The paper closes with a summary of its core statements and a, perhaps provocative, joint declaration of ZEI fellow along with long-term proposals for the future of Europe.