MEPs call for a more bicameral system that would strengthen the European Parliament’s role and change voting mechanisms in the European Council.

They argue that the EU would then 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 Council and Parliament in the election of the President of the Commission (which would be renamed the “European Executive”), whereby Parliament would in future nominate the Commission President and the European Council would approve them. They also propose enabling the Commission President to choose its members based on political preferences, while ensuring geographic and demographic balance.

The draft report asks for the introduction of a mechanism for EU-wide referendums on matters relevant to the Union’s actions and policies (including the approval of the Treaty reform proposals at hand), and enhance the existing participatory mechanisms.

EU competences and subsidiarity

MEPs want to establish exclusive EU competence for the environment and biodiversity and shared competences on public health matters, civil protection, industry, and education. They propose the advancement of Union shared competences in the areas of energy, foreign affairs, external security and defence, external border policy in the area of freedom, security and justice, and cross-border-infrastructure.

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