“The European Movement International (EMI) is deeply concerned about the persisting trend to debate and decide about the future of the European project in closed circles, especially the European Council,” said Jo LEINEN, President of the EMI, after its Members’ Council in Nicosia/Cyprus on 30 November 2012.

A genuine and fully functioning European Economic and Monetary Union can only be achieved through changes in EU primary law. The EMI stresses that the discussion about a revision of the Treaties must be carried out in a public, democratic and transparent form. “A new European Convention with the participation of the European Parliament, the national parliaments and governments and the European Commission with close involvement of the civil society is the only appropriate instrument,” commented LEINEN.

In light of the crisis one of the main challenges is to regain trust in the EU institutions, policy-making and the European project as a whole. “We must define a new fair European Deal together with politicians, citizens, employers and employees, adjusted to the needs of our time,” LEINEN added.

In order to feed the discussion about Europe’s future and raise the voice of the pro-European civil society, the Members Council of the European Movement International (EMI) adopted a resolution on the “Lessons from the financial and economic crisis and its implications for the future of the EU”. The resolution was prepared on the basis of contributions from the EMI network and a high level EMI workshop recently organised in Brussels.

Download: EMI Resolution on “Lessons from the financial and economic crisis and its implications for the future of the EU”
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Editor’s Note: The EMI is one of the largest pan and pro-European civil society organisation with currently more than 75 Member Organisations, bringing together representatives from European associations, political parties, enterprises and trade unions.