The State of the European Union. The European Parliament faces its most important elections yet

THE DIFFICULT ROAD TOWARDS A NECESSARY EUROPEAN FEDERAL UNION 65 creation of the necessary structure to put into effect the commitment to mutual de- fence contained in Article 42.7. – Revising the functions and competences of the Committee of the Regions so that re- gions and cities have greater influence over the decisions adopted, making it a rule for example that they must necessarily be con- sulted by the European Parliament and the Council before any legislative act that affects them. – Reforming the rules of citizen participation to promote it, making the European citizen initiative – which should be addressed di- rectly to the European Parliament – more ac- cessible and creating the possibility of European referendums. – �������������������������������������������� Regulating the different degrees of associa- tion for countries that cannot or do not want to be full members of the EU or those that do not accept subsequent revisions of the Treaties, so that there are no a la carte as- sociations, but ones that follow one model or other. The third convention The changes that the EU urgently needs, and which we have tried to outline briefly here, in- volve a major amendment of the treaties in ac- cordance with an ordinary revision procedure, which given its importance requires the calling of a convention. The procedure can be initiated by the government of any member state, by the European Parliament or by the European Commission through the presentation of revi- sion project. In this case, it would be a good idea if it were the European Parliament that emerges from the elections in May that took the initiative, as the holder of the democratic legitimacy that only the ballot box can give and in line with the resolution approved on 16 February 2017, if there is a majority in the new European Parliament in favour of reform similar to that of its predecessor. If the European Parliament takes that initia- tive, and the European Council approves study- ing the proposal by a simple majority, its presi- dent will call the convention, which would be the third, after the one that drafted the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU (1999-2000) and the one that drew up the draft of the abort- ed European Constitutional Treaty (2001-2003). The convention will study the revision project and will adopt by consensus a recommendation addressed to a conference of representatives of the governments of the member states, which is the body that will ultimately approve the modifications that have to be made in the trea- ties. According to Article 48 of the TEU, the con- vention will be composed of representatives of the national parliaments, of the heads of state or government of the member states, of the European Parliament and of the European Commission. If the reform affects the monetary area – as will necessarily be the case –, the ECB will be represented. The Spinelli Group proposes including the Committee of the Regions too, which seems an excellent idea since – as we have said – it is essential to review the role that the regions and cities play in the Union’s institutional architecture. We would also add the Economic and Social Committee to give to the workers’ and employers’ organisations, and other interest groups, an opportunity to have their say. Yet beyond who might officially make up the convention, the most important thing will be the way in which it does its work, to prevent European citizens from feeling once again alien- ated and distant from what is discussed and its