Senators Pim van Ballekom (VVD) and Alexander van Hattem (PVV) participated in an Interparliamentary Committee Meeting (ICM) in Brussels on June 24. The topic of the meeting was the institutional reform of the European Union (EU) in the event of a future expansion of the EU. During an ICM, representatives from the national parliaments of the European Union and the European Parliament discuss European issues. Candidate member states were also represented at the meeting.
After an opening by representatives of the European Parliament, MEP and rapporteur Sandro Gozi presented his draft report on behalf of the AFCO (Constitutional Affairs) Committee of the European Parliament. The central question in this report is whether, and if so which, institutional reforms of the European Union are necessary if the EU were to expand with new member states in the future. The report distinguishes various possibilities, both within the existing EU treaty and outside of this treaty, to act more efficiently, effectively, and democratically.
Thereafter, there was room for an exchange of ideas between members of national parliaments and the European Parliament. Senator Van Hattem expressed support for maintaining the national veto in the European Union and stricter measures in the area of migration. Senator Van Ballekom advocated for a Europe at different speeds and emphasized the importance of taking action against existing and candidate member states that do not respect the accession rules.
The contributions from national parliament members, MEPs, and representatives of candidate member states will be taken into account in the preparation of the final report.