Lars Løkke RASMUSSEN, Danish Prime Minister, is the thirteenth EU leader to debate the future of Europe with MEPs on Wednesday afternoon.

The Europeans want the EU to change. This is why the European Parliament is taking the leadership over a reform of the EU.

Parliament set out its vision for the future of Europe in three resolutions voted in plenary session on 16 February 2017. MEPs suggested, among other things: turning the Council of Ministers into a genuine second legislative chamber, and its configurations into preparatory bodies similar to Parliament’s committees, appointing an EU finance minister and giving the EU Commission the power to formulate and give effect to a common EU economic policy, backed up by a euro-area budget, and creating a fiscal capacity consisting of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and specific additional budgetary capacity for the euro area, funded by its members as a part of the EU budget.

Debate on the Future of Europe with Lars Løkke RASMUSSEN, Danish Prime Minister: statement by Valdis DOMBROVSKIS, Vice-President of the EC (15:50 - 16:00)