The chairman of the Convention on EU future Valéry Giscard d'Estaing has added another proposal for the building of a more democratic union.

"I personally believe the democratic legitimacy of the Union will not be fully accepted by its citizens until a forum is created to bring together the two elements of legitimacy in the Union - the national and the European one." The chairman of the Convention on EU future Valéry Giscard d'Estaing calls for a new EU body regrouping national parliamentarians and members of the European Parliament to hold discussions on the strategic orientation of the European Union and give it a more democratic reputation. Mr Giscard pleaded in an article he published in Le Monde on Monday for such a body, called the Congress of peoples of Europe, which would have no legislative power but will be consulted on changes to the EU's rules or powers, future enlargements and possibly some top appointments in the EU. The former French president argues the EU will not be fully reconciled with its citizens unless it brings together the two elements of the European Union's legitimacy: "the national and the European one."

"I personally believe the democratic legitimacy of the Union will not be fully accepted by its citizens until a forum is created to bring together the two elements of legitimacy in the Union - the national and the European one," Mr Giscard wrote.

The peoples' congress Mr Giscard designs will gather in Brussels, once per year, the members of the European Parliament and a proportional number of national parliamentarians.

The Convention's chairman first launched the idea of such a body at the Conservative parties' congress in Roquebrune, end June. Mr Giscard told leading conservatives in Europe that a body bringing together national and European parliamentarians would connect the national and European level and give the Union more democratic legitimacy.

Such a body, he said, should debate the working programme of the European Commission and of the Presidency of the European Union, and hold general orientation discussions. Its advantage would be double-fold: it would give a more democratic face to the Union and would improve the involvement of national parliaments in the EU decision-making. Mr Giscard is set to put forward to the Convention the proposal for a Peoples' congress.