The future of the European Union

The European Parliament adopted the own-initiative report by Jo LEINEN (PES, D) and Iñigo MÉNDEZ DE VIGO (EPP-ED, E) on the Laeken European Council and the future of the Union. The nature of the Convention, which will do the groundwork for the next reform of the Treaties, form the basis of a resolution on the Laeken European Council and the future of the Union adopted by 398 votes to 77 with 19 abstentions. The main issues are the composition of the Convention, who should chair it and what its mandate should cover. MEPs believe the composition of the Convention should reflect the full range of European political opinion, as in the case of the Convention that drafted the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The different components should be represented in the same proportions as in the first Convention. The applicant countries should take part as permanent observers, as should the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee (two observers each) and the Court of Justice. (Please refer to the previous text for an in-depth analysis of the main issues).�