Civil Society Europe (CSE) has launched an open letter—signed by 16 civil society organisations (CSOs) in the EU—calling on Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to adopt the Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) Committee’s report on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the EU Treaties during the Plenary session on the week of 20 November. 

We also call on EU Member States, through the European Council, to trigger Article 48 of the TEU, thereby convening a Convention to revise the EU Treaties. Civil society organisations, including those in the candidate countries, should be invited as participants to such a Convention and be involved in all phases of the latter’s preparation, including the agenda-setting phase and the preparatory meetings on the draft of the Treaty changes.

Overall, MEPs and Member States should strengthen the AFCO report’s proposals concerning democracy, civil dialogue and fundamental rights, as has been called for by CSOs across the EU. Among other things, we think it is essential to strengthen Article 11 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU).

Also, Treaty change should advance in parallel with enlargement processes since reforms in the EU and in pre-accession countries are key to prepare the future enlarged EU for the challenges of today and tomorrow.

At this moment in time, the priority is for the AFCO Committee’s report to be adopted in Plenary and for the European Council to trigger Article 48 (TEU). After this, we, as CSOs, will gladly work with all stakeholders to put forward deeply needed and more ambitious reforms on democracy, civil dialogue and fundamental rights.

For further information, please contact nastassia(dot)maes(at)civilsocietyeurope(dot)eu.