Europe on the Brink of Transformation: A Multi-Speed EU in the Cards?

Young Europeans attend a summit at the European Parliament June 1st-2nd in Strasbourg, France to discuss reforms for the future of Europe. (Flickr)

France and Germany submitted an unprecedented report to fellow European Affairs Ministers, presenting a blueprint for a brand new European Union (EU) on September 19. The wide-ranging internal reforms would permit the Union to successfully enlarge while offering each Member State a more tailored level of integration.

Calls to revamp the EU have been growing since the last significant update occurred with the 2007 Lisbon Treaty. The European Council’s current unanimity voting requirements on key policy areas, including the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and the European Parliament’s weaker position relative to other EU bodies, have often hampered the bloc’s efficiency. The Franco-German proposal points out that “Enlargement without proper institutional reforms would make it even harder – if not impossible – for the EU to take decisions.”

Multiple EU officials have promoted the idea that further integration and flexibility should pave the path for an even more effective union that is close to its citizens.

Since a speech in 2017, French President Macron has championed the idea of a multi-speed Europe in which Member States can each integrate at their own pace. His basic concept would be a core of highly integrated Member States surrounded by multiple shells of less unified European countries. Such countries could then choose to integrate further, nearing the core, or move toward less integration without Brexit-style complete separation. The Franco-German commissioned report presented in Brussels on September 19 now represents the fruition of this multi-speed concept.

A coalition of EU members willing to integrate beyond the EU’s current level of integration would form the EU’s core. These states could include Schengen Area and Eurozone members who have already abolished mutual internal borders in Europe and share the Euro. Other EU members unwilling to further unify in potential areas such as security and taxation could form the second sphere. These states would remain at the EU’s current level of integration.

Non-EU Member States with close economic ties to the EU – including European Economic Area members Norway and Iceland – could form the third ring of EU associate members. These states would not share the EU’s goal of an ever-closer union. The final layer of states would encompass members of the European Political Community. These states share similar values and could collaborate with the EU on policy issues of joint interest.

Additional reform suggestions include creating Europe-wide voter lists for the European Parliament’s elections to improve the EU’s cohesiveness and visibility. The report also argues that “The EU budget must grow … in terms of a proportion of [states’] GDP.” The budget increase will prove critical to successfully finance all EU expenses in a potentially 30+ member union.

It is no secret that the EU has been struggling to cope with various alarming threats, ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine War to the growing unruliness of multiple Member States. Faced with this reality, the EU must now take a cold stare in the mirror and reinvent itself once again. Failing to adapt may prove too grave a threat to the survival of European unity