The report comprising draft changes to the Treaties was endorsed by MEPs on Wednesday with 19 votes for, six against, one abstention. The accompanying resolution was adopted with 20 votes for, six against, and no abstentions. MEPs reiterate their call to amend the EU Treaties and ask the Council to “immediately and without deliberation submit the proposals […] to the European Council”, so that a Convention can be set up.

Institutional reforms and a mechanism for EU-wide referendums

MEPs call for a more bicameral system that would strengthen Parliament’s role and change voting mechanisms in the Council. The Union would be better prepared to act by considerably increasing the number of decisions by qualified majority voting (QMV) and through ordinary legislative procedure (OLP), while Parliament would gain a fully-fledged right of legislative initiative and become a co-legislator for the EU’s long-term budget.

MEPs also call for the reversal of the current roles of…