Future EU reforms [What Think Tanks are thinking]

Summary:

Several simultaneous crises have put renewed pressure on the European Union to revise decision-making procedures and economic policies. Russia’s war on Ukraine, growing protectionism worldwide, technological rivalry with China and the US, problems with the rule of law in some Member States, post-pandemic issues and migration woes pose many challenges on the political side.

On the economic front, many economists and politicians are calling for fiscal reforms, energy system overhaul and new EU funds. Those funds would finance the EU’s transition towards a green economy, and boost the bloc’s ability to deal with external shocks, such as the current energy crisis. Among topics discussed are increasing the scope of qualified majority voting by EU Member States in the Council, creating more coherent unions for energy and health, improving rules for sharing the costs of immigration, and modifying enlargement policies.

In the economic area, discussions focus on overhauling fiscal rules for the euro area and the wider EU, issuing more EU debt, countering unfair competition from abroad, increasing cooperation in the energy sector, and new industrial policies to foster growth of innovative and high-technology companies. This note offers links to recent commentaries and reports from international think tanks on the EU and proposed reforms. Earlier papers on the State of the Union can be found in a recent edition of ‘What Think Tanks are Thinking’.

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