Juncker to unveil White Paper on Europe's future

European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker will on Wednesday present a White Paper on the future of Europe to the European Parliament, his chief spokesperson said.

"The paper will give an opportunity to heads of state and government to start a period of reflection about the future of Europe and options which they have in order to ensure unity and cooperation between the 27 member states," Xinhaunews agency quoted Juncker's chief spokesman Margaritis Schinas as saying.

Except for shoring up European solidarity, the detail of the white paper is not known until it is published.

Leaders of EU members are due to discuss the white paper at a summit next week in Brussels.

They will meet again in Italy on March 25 to mark the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, which founded the predecessor of the EU.

About three months after Britain's June referendum to leave the 28-nation bloc, Juncker in his State of the Union address pledged "the commission will set out such a vision for the future in a White Paper in March 2017, in time for the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome."

This year is regarded as a crunch time for the EU, as several member states are set to hold general elections and euroskeptic leaders have upper hands in the Netherlands and France in the polls.

--IANS

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