ЛААКЕНСКАЯ ДЕКЛАРАЦИЯ БУДУЩЕЕ ЕВРОПЕЙСКОГО СОЮЗА (ДЕКЛАРАЦИЯ ЛААКЕНА). Декларация. Европейский Союз. 15.12.01

More democracy, transparency and efficiency
                        in the European Union

     The  European  Union  derives  its legitimacy from the democratic
values it projects, the aims it pursues and the powers and instruments
it   possesses.   However,  the  European  project  also  derives  its
legitimacy  from  democratic,  transparent and efficient institutions.
The national parliaments also contribute towards the legitimacy of the
European  project. The declaration on the future of the Union, annexed
to  the  Treaty  of  Nice,  stressed the need to examine their role in
European  integration.  More generally, the question arises as to what
initiatives we can take to develop a European public area.
     The  first  question  is  thus how we can increase the democratic
legitimacy  and  transparency  of the present institutions, a question
which is valid for the three institutions.
     How  can  the authority and efficiency of the European Commission
be  enhanced? How should the President of the Commission be appointed:
by  the  European  Council, by the European Parliament or should he be
directly  elected  by  the  citizens?  Should the role of the European
Parliament  be strengthened? Should we extend the right of co-decision
or  not?  Should the way in which we elect the members of the European
Parliament  be  reviewed?  Should a European electoral constituency be
created,   or   should   constituencies   continue  to  be  determined
nationally?  Can  the  two systems be combined? Should the role of the
Council  be strengthened? Should the Council act in the same manner in
its  legislative  and its executive capacities? With a view to greater
transparency,  should  the  meetings  of  the Council, at least in its
legislative  capacity,  be public? Should citizens have more access to
Council  documents?  How,  finally,  should the balance and reciprocal
control between the institutions be ensured?
     A  second  question, which also relates to democratic legitimacy,
involves  the role of national parliaments. Should they be represented
in   a  new  institution,  alongside  the  Council  and  the  European
Parliament?  Should  they  have  a role in areas of European action in
which  the European Parliament has no competence? Should they focus on
the  division  of  competence  between  Union  and  Member States, for
example  through preliminary checking of compliance with the principle
of subsidiarity?
     The  third question concerns how we can improve the efficiency of
decision-making  and  the  workings  of the institutions in a Union of
some  thirty Member States. How could the Union set its objectives and
priorities more effectively and ensure better implementation? Is there
a  need  for  more  decisions  by  a  qualified  majority?  How is the
co-decision  procedure between the Council and the European Parliament
to  be  simplified and speeded up? What of the six-monthly rotation of
the  Presidency  of the Union? What is the future role of the European
Parliament?  What  of  the  future  role  and structure of the various
Council  formations?  How  should  the  coherence  of European foreign
policy be enhanced? How is synergy between the High Representative and
the  competent  Commissioner  to  be  reinforced?  Should the external
representation of the Union in international fora be extended further?