THE STATE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION REPORT. Europe in a period of transition

THE STATE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION 22 for accountability and awareness-raising. Given the im- portance of this question, it would be best if this obli- gation were introduced into the Protocol on National Parliaments annexed to the Treaty of the EU, but in the absence of Treaty reform it could be covered by an agree- ment between governments and national parliaments. Conclusions The Conference on the Future of Europe is in itself a de- mocratising initiative, both at the level of raising aware- ness and in terms of its potential to incorporate the wishes of citizens in setting the political direction of the EU. Although it has not got off to the best of starts, there is still time to redirect it to produce the best possible results. In this chapter we have addressed the need to perfect the functioning of European institutions with the aim of improving their democratic quality. Our proposals pursue three objectives. The first is to extend the common ap- proach to ensure that the dual legitimacy of citizens and Member states is reflected in all European legislative and political decisions. The second focuses on the European sphere, proposing improvements to the procedure for electing the European Parliament so that citizens have better knowledge of European politics, can participate in elections on an equal footing, and their wishes influ- ence the political direction. The third seeks to address the democratic quality of the other sphere of European politics, the national level, with proposals to strengthen debate and accountability of European politics in nation- al parliaments.