The European Council of 24th and 25th March 2011 on a European Economic Governance can be either a visionary one or the beginning of a rollback towards intergovernmentalism. The European Union’s Member States are about to set a precedent for the future architecture of European Politics.

With such wide-ranging and fundamental decisions for a European Economic Governance on the doorstep, the European Movement warns against the use of a "Union Method" involving only Member States. Past experiences with the intergovernmental method have shown that mere coordination between Member States only leads to slow, late and insufficient action that lacks a true European dimension. Only the well-proven Community Method with the participation of all Institutions of the European Union can ensure the full democratic accountability of European Politics.

The European Commission is independent of national ambitions and has the legitimacy to coordinate European Policies. It therefore needs to play the central role in a future European Economic Governance Structure, while being thoroughly and democratically controlled by the European Parliament. The Commission needs to initiate, coordinate and monitor the EU’s economic policies and to act as a European Economic Government.
[ENDS]
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Editor’s Note: The European Movement is an international organisation open to all political, economic, social and cultural trends in civil society.
 
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