(08 March 2021) – The European Parliament’s leaders endorsed on Thursday (4 March) the blueprint for the much anticipated Conference on the Future of Europe, a day after national governments also backed it.
In a statement, the leaders of the Parliament’s political groups said they wanted the reform agenda to “start its work as soon as possible”, adding that it would “contribute significantly to building a citizen’s Union.”
The project has been repeatedly delayed and watered down since French President Emmanuel Macron set out the outline for it in March 2019. Originally intended to start work last spring, the Conference was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic and inter-institutional wrangling over its mandate and governance. In the meantime, Macron appears to have lost interest in leading the project, which is set to last for one year.
With little appetite for a revision of the EU treaties, it is unclear what national governments want to be the final outcome of the Conference process. (EurActiv)