The Young European Federalists (JEF-Europe) enthusiastically welcome the entry into force of the long-awaited Lisbon Treaty although they stress that the list of improvements is not long enough to satisfy federalists’ desire for more integration.

“After one decade of messy back-and-forth between EU member states and watering down the Constitutional Treaty, the Treaty of Lisbon is another gradual step on the path of integration towards a democratic European Federation” explains Philippe Adriaenssens, President of JEF-Europe. “The Lisbon Treaty introduces a number of important instruments that render the EU more transparent, democratic and efficient but Europe will need skilled and creative musicians to play the federalist melody until the end.”

New legal bases have been introduced that will allow common action in particular policies while, on the institutional front, intergovernmental procedures are slowly but surely making room for federalist-inspired decision-making mechanisms such as co-decision and Qualified Majority Voting. JEF-Europe especially welcomes the fact that participatory democracy is enhanced through the new Citizens’ Initiative.

“Civil society organisations should immediately seize this new opportunity to team up and launch cross-border campaigns demanding more integration in specific policy fields or even the convocation of a new Constitutional Convention!” says Philippe Adriaenssens. “The new Commission should therefore draft a flexible Directive that allows Europeans to benefit from this direct democratic tool.”

Philippe Adriaenssens concludes: “Instead of becoming the secretariat of an ever enlarging Council, the Commission should fully use its executive powers with ambition and determination and assert itself as the leading instrument in the European orchestra by playing a score that is at once inspiring and visionary!”
[ENDS]

PRESS CONTACTS:

Philippe Adriaenssens, JEF Europe President, president(at)jef.eu, +32 472 33 41 27

Julia Mikic, Press Responsible, julia.mikic(at)jef.eu, +385 91 524 54 21