EU leaders to decide on two-speed Europe economy plan in Cyprus

The EU is gearing up to bypass recalcitrant capitals in a last-ditch effort to breathe life into its flagship economic zone by allowing countries to opt in and out of major reforms.

In a strategy document obtained by Euractiv, Ursula von der Leyen’s European Commission suggests that countries that favour deeper integration should be able to forge ahead in groups of at least nine to bolster the single market.

“Lacking sufficient progress, the institutions will consider enhanced cooperation to secure swift and ambitious delivery,” the document states.

Enhanced cooperation is a clause in the EU treaties allowing at least nine capitals to forge ahead with certain policy measures when majority voting would normally be required. It was last invoked in December to agree a €90 billion loan to Ukraine, without the support of Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary.

The document, called the ‘One Europe, One Market’ roadmap, lists 42 policy measures, most of which are not new, and seeks to…