Implementing the CoFoE : has the time come for Treaty change?

Abstract

Amidst a multitude of interconnected risks and increasingly complex transnational challenges, are the European Treaties still fit for purpose? Last updated in 2007, the EU’s foundational legal instruments and principles are not always apt to address the emerging phenomenon of the ‘polycrisis’. In May 2022, the citizen-led Conference on the Future of Europe (COFE) presented a total of 49 proposals and 325 recommendations to the European institutions detailing their vision for the Union they want, many of which require Treaty change. The European Parliament has adopted a Resolution favouring a re-opening of the Treaties and work is ongoing to identify specific policy areas where amendments may be due. Will the EU be able to deliver better on a newfound vision for the Union, or continue along the path of incrementalism?