Without Treaty change, we need more treaties
The debate on European reform is stuck. While the need to adapt the EU to a more contested world is widely recognised, comprehensive Treaty change is not on the cards – at least not in the foreseeable future. Political resistance, unanimity requirements and the risk of failure make reopening the EU Treaties very unlikely. Even if feasible, timescales are too long for today’s challenges.
But paralysis is not inevitable.
Europe has done this before. The Schengen Agreement, signed in 1985 outside the Treaty framework, created cooperation among willing countries – including non-EU members – and was only incorporated into EU law in 1999, showing that integration can advance through new intergovernmental treaties among like-minded states, including partners beyond the Union.
Today, the need is greater than ever. Europe faces widening gaps between ambition and delivery in areas such as economic security, defence, enlargement and democratic standards. Existing coalitions of the willing remain loose, intergovernmental and weakly institutionalised, lacking credibility and enforceability.
New treaties among like-minded countries could change this. If properly designed, they would create structured, rules-based frameworks for differentiated integration, with clear governance, binding commitments and effective implementation. This allows progress where there is political will, without being blocked by others.
The concept of an Open Supra-Governmental Avantgarde (OSGA) provides a guide: embedding common decision-making, joint financing and shared accountability, while remaining open to others – including non-EU partners – that meet the criteria and uphold the rule of law.
This is not fragmentation, but a realistic path to deliver on common European objectives.
Fabian Zuleeg is Chief Executive and Chief Economist at the European Policy Centre.
Janis A. Emmanouilidis is Director of Studies at the EPC.
Almut Möller is Director for European and Global Affairs and head of the Europe in the World programme at the EPC.
The support the European Policy Centre receives for its ongoing operations, or specifically for its publications, does not constitute an endorsement of their contents, which reflect the views of the authors only. Supporters and partners cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
