A6: Regarding multi-speed Europe

Resolution submitted by: JEF Political Commission 1 – Institutions and
Governance

Adopted by the Federal Committee in Turku on 21 October 2018. Re-adopted by the
online Federal Committee on 26 June 2021. Re-adopted and amended by the Federal
Committee on 11 November 2023 in Madrid, Spain. Re-adopted and amended by the
Federal Committee on 19 April 2026 in Belgrade, Serbia.

Jef Europe,

● Reaffirming that the best and preferred solution to Europe’s persistent
problems is a European federation encompassing as many European states as
possible, and that this should be the aim of the European Union as a whole;

● Believing that joining the European Union should imply that the country is
willing to politically integrate and to participate in a federal project;

● Concerned about European integration having largely stalled since the Lisbon
Treaty in 2007 and further integration being made difficult by the requirement
of unanimity; ● Considering that differentiated integration (a “multi-speed
Europe”) could allow willing states to move forward without being held back by
state governments not ready to accept further integration at this time;

● Recalling that differentiated integration has in the past enabled the creation
of a closer union, and its application has since gained more importance with the
Maastricht treaty and Amsterdam treaty, which introduced the eurozone and
enhanced cooperation respectively;

● Reaffirming that the euro is the single currency of the European Union and
that in the long run, all Member States should join the Eurozone.

● Aware of the fact that the EU remains the most important trade partner and
provider of support for political and economic stability of neighbouring
countries, and that EU membership has been and will continue to be a primary
factor of geopolitical stability;

● Bearing in mind the risk that encouraging the use of flexible ways of
integration within the EU, if it is not supported by a concrete political
vision, could lead to the stagnation or a progressive crumbling of the European
project;

● Mindful of the limitations of existing tools for differentiated integration,
such as enhanced cooperation1.

JEF Europe therefore,

1. Encourages the Member States to actively pursue all forms of enhanced
cooperation in those particularly problematic political sectors that have
traditionally been exempted by the European integration process;

2. Calls upon the European Council to ensure that any attempt of having
differentiated integration within the EU is supported by a clear and concrete
political vision for the EU, that foresees the creation of a political
institution based on federal aspects;

1 Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union, Title IV, Article 20,
EUR-Lex, Publications Office of the European Union, EUR-Lex - 12016M020 - EN -
EUR-Lex, 7 June 2016

3. Urges Eurozone countries to agree on permanent political integration and to
function as a magnet for other countries, as the way to a multi-speed Europe
that will not cause further fragmentation and divisions within the European
Union;

4. Demands that the European Council and the European Commission ensure that any
sort of new cooperation to be of an inclusive nature of enlargement, without
allocating a secondary status for the outer tier, and that all candidate
countries can become part of it, if they wish, providing that they meet the
relevant criteria;

5. Calls for a revision of the Treaties to enable the creation of a federal core
and establishing a clear judicial system to resolve potential conflict of
sovereignty between the federally integrated and non-participating members.

Therefore, in line with the principles stated above, JEF Europe:

6. Calls upon willing Member States to establish a federal core to proceed with
political and economic integration, specifically proposing:

a. All members of this core group should join the Eurozone;

b. Creating a fiscal capacity with a dedicated budget, the federal right to levy
taxes and the authority to borrow on capital markets;

c. Consolidating external representation under a single foreign policy; d.
Transitioning from cooperation to a fully integrated European Defence Union with
shared assets and command structures;

e. Transferring the management of external borders and migration policy from
national authorities to the federal core;

f. Abolishing the requirement for unanimity in all Council decisions regarding
the core group;

g. Institutionalising a governance structure where only representatives from the
participating Member States hold voting rights on matters exclusive to the
federal core;

h. All member states of this group unambiguously accept the absolute primacy of
European Union law;

7. Urges the European Commission to use trade deals and partnerships, including
association agreements, to foster integration of potential member states, with
federation as the final goal.