DRAFT
Introduction
Historically the European Union has been developing as a community of nation states with different cultural heritages. After the enlargement number of the European Union Member States will almost double. Therefore, one of the main tasks for the European Convention is to frame a model for an effective functioning of the enlarged European Union. It is important that in the future the European Union remains a union of strong nation states maintaining their cultural uniqueness and respecting the national sovereignty of each Member State.
I. Objectives
1. The institutional reform of the European Union-s is a key issue in the debate on the future-s European Union. The main goal of the institutional reform is to simplify procedures and to make the European Union more transparent to its citizens. Latvia would like to be a member of a democratic and effective European Union where equality between member states is ensured.
2. The European Union integration process has proved that the Community method ensures equality of the Member State, as well as abidance of common interests. The Commission-s role should be strengthened to ensure that interests of all member states are taken into consideration and that interests of individual member states do not dominate over common objectives.
II. Positions
The EU Basic Treaty
3. In order to simplify judicial system of the European Union and enhance citizen-s understanding on the European Union, its functioning principles and objectives, it is necessary to create a Basic Treaty of the European Union.
4. Several principles and norms of the Charter of Fundamental rights could be incorporated in the Basic Treaty. That would promote further development of the human rights.
The European Parliament
5. The European Parliament elected by citizens from all member states symbolizes democratic legitimacy of the decisions adopted by the European Union. Therefore the current election system of the European Parliament should be maintained in order to ensure proportional representation of each member state in the European Parliament. We are not in favour of introducing European candidacy lists.
6. Latvia favours the strengthening of the position of the European Parliament in legislative matters alongside with the Council.
7. Latvia is not in favour of founding new institutions such as the Congress of the Peoples of Europe. Cooperation between national Parliaments and their relationship with the European Parliament should be improved on a practical basis. We are supporting the reforms being planed within COSAC.
The Council
8. Rotating Presidency has become a symbol of member state-s role in the European Union. The rotating Presidency should be maintained in the enlarged European Union and should continue to be a task for the Member Sates.
9. However, the Presidency system should be simplified. The Presidency could chair the European Council, the sectoral Councils and COREPER. The presidency should be relieved from technical coordination.
10. Creation of elected full-time President of the European Council could disassemble the current institutional balance in the European Union. A question arises whether the elected President of the European Council would respect the principle of member states equality. It would be difficult to separate responsibilities of both the President of the Commission and the President of the Council.
11. In order to strengthen the European Union-s role on the international level the creation of the Foreign Minister of European Union merging the High Representative and Commissioner for External Relations could be considered. This would improve coordination and enforcement of the foreign policy of European Union.
12. The qualified majority voting in the Council could be replaced by the simple double majority voting. It would make the decision-making process more transparent and acceptable for citizens.
The Commission
13. The enlarged European Union should have a strong and independent Commission to ensure that interests of each member are reflected alongside with the common interests of the European Union. The work of the Commission should continue to be based on collegiality and the equality of its members.
14. The Commision-s role should be made more strategic and long-term, and its legislative programme should play an important role in drawing up the Council-s multi-annual operating programme.
15. The Commission should monitor implementation of the Community law and guarantee the respect for the principle of subsidiarity.
16. The Commission should be composed of one commissioner from each member state, which symbolizes the sovereignty delegated to the European Union by the national states.
17. The European Parliament could elect the President of the Commission in order to increase the Commission-s democratic legitimacy. However, any changes in the selection process must not lead to essential changes in the fundamental nature of the Commission nor jeopardize its operative potential.