The Italian European Movement convened a conference in Rome last month to discuss the Future of Europe. This conference, supported by the Italian government, brought together representatives of the national councils of the European Movement of southern Europe, comprising those of Cyprus, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Croatia and Malta.

The Rome meeting which took place on the 18 and 19 October, covered four main issues - the structure and work of the conference on the Future of Europe set up by the EU, proposals on the fiscal capacity of the Union and its own resources, the New Agenda for the Mediterranean launched earlier this year and prospects of enlargement toward the “Western Balkans”.

The European Movement Malta was represented by its Chairperson Prof Roderick Pace and Vice-Chairperson Dr George Vital Zammit.

The consensus in Rome was that the conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoEU), launched in spring after a long delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, could still fail to meet expectations unless it was managed better. Its visibility needs to increase and more European citizens must be encouraged to participate in it since the level of participation remains subdued. 

Particular emphasis was made that the Conference on the Future of Europe is different from the 2001-2003 Convention which was convened by the EU member states to write an EU constitution. This conference is meant to provide citizens with the opportunity to show how they wish the Union to confront the challenges of the Future, as one of the panellists aptly summarized it, “let us see what is important for the citizens, which are the things that matter for them.”

It was argued that information about the Conference on the Future of Europe needs to be better amplified at national level in the member states and that a better “feedback” mechanism should be established to let citizens know what is being done with their proposals.

Citizens must be at the centre of the change and transformations that the EU will undergo in the years to come. It was also important that the conference is opened to citizens of the countries of the “Western Balkans” who are waiting to join the EU and third country nationals who have settled in the EU. Their voices need to be heard as well.

Given the late start of the Conference, there was a feeling that its duration needs to be extended beyond the French Presidency of the Council of the EU which starts in January 2022, to give it more time to finish its work. One suggestion floated in Rome was to announce the interim results during the French Presidency and then allow the conference more time to conclude its work.

The discussion at the Rome meeting was led by panels of experts assembled by the European Movement Italy. Apart from the conference on the Future of Europe itself, other issues currently bedevilling the EU were also discussed, beginning first with the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and the media, which one key speaker claiming that these are far more important than other matters such as trade and tariffs.

It is the glue that keeps the member states together and which sustains the values of the EU on which our democracies are built.

The EU also needs to be given its own budget and fiscal resources to be able to meet its ambitions and strengthen the Euro-zone. These ambitions are not small. We are talking about the green transition, the relevance of COP-26, digitalization, energy security, an effective health union -  brought into sharper focus by the COVID-19 Pandemic -  and the Union’s participation in global politics. One panellist mused about possible sources for the EU “own resources” or budget.

The EU’s role in the Mediterranean Region remains crucial. One old proposal resurfaced at the Rome conference namely that the EU should strive for a Human Rights Charter for the Mediterranean Region and double up its efforts to promote the improvement of the position of women and young people in Mediterranean societies. It is also crucial to strengthen dialogue between the citizens on both shores of the Mediterranean.

There was yet another call for the European management of migration in the Mediterranean region, an issue which has stalled all discussion on a European approach in the Council.

We need however to act quickly because the situation in the Mediterranean region is changing rapidly as recent events in Tunisia have shown. The EU is not the only actor in the region and the EU needs to relaunch the proposal for a Conference on Security in the Mediterranean region.  Democracy and the rule of law should remain as prime objectives of the EU’s Mediterranean policy. The developing EU Common Defence Policy needs to cover the Mediterranean region as well.

The Mediterranean region is crucial for the EU’s energy supplies and energy resources in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean are strategically important for the EU. Unfortunately, they are also a source of regional tensions which the EU needs to tackle by diplomacy.

On EU enlargement, one panellist remarked on the reference which is made to the “Western Balkans” in official EU discourse instead of “South-Eastern Europe”. But the general consensus in Rome was clearly visible that this sub-region, which is geographically situated at the heart of Europe, has to be included in the EU as soon as possible.

The Rome Conference of the European Movements of Southern Europe would not have been possible if not for the tireless efforts of Pier Virgilio Dastoli, President of the Movimento Europeo Italia.

Roderick Pace and George Vital Zammit are Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the European Movement Malta