Introduction to EU Policies

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Introduction to EU Policies Institutional
Architecture

• II.
• EU in the eve of the institutional reform

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Beginning of European integration

• 1951 Treaty on European Coal and Steel
  Community
• 1957 Treaty on European Economic Community and
  Euroatom
• 1986 Single European Act
• 1992 Treaty on the European Union

3
Recent developments last ten years

• 1997 Amsterdam Treaty
• 2000 Nice Treaty
• 2003 Proposition for the Constitutional Treaty
• 2007 Iintergovernmental Conference working on the
  Reform Treaty

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Now, how the EU can evolve?

• Real need, political will and climate
• Formal initiative of the MS or Commission to
• change the treaties (article 48 of the EU Treaty)
• Intergovernmental conference where the
• amending treaty is discussed

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In what direction?
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Today, what is the EU for the Europeans?
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• Common market?
• Open borders?
• European social model?
• Identity, European citizenship?
• Common history, culture, traditions and values?

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Is the present structure of the EU (many
treaties, treaties amending amending treaties,
three pillars, differences between the EU and
the EC) transparent for the Europeans ?
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Do the EU need a Constitution?
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European Convention and the Constitutional Treaty
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European Convention on the Future of Europe

• Inspiration - the convention preparing the
  Charter of the Fundamental Rights of the EU, 2000
  
• 2001 Leaken Declaration, decision to entrust the
  Convention with a task to elaborate the
  constitutional Treaty
• More democratic than the intergovernmental
  conference, not only representatives of the
  governments of the MS (at the time 15) but also
• 13 of the heads of states or government of the
  candidate countries
• 30 of national Parliaments of the MS and 26 of
  the candidate countries
• 16 members of the European Parliament,
• 2 European Commission

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(1) Constitutional Treaty What it was?

• Convention in 2003 agreed the final text,
  European Council accepted it on 18 of June 2004,
  on 29 of October 2004 signed by the 27.
• It was an normal International treaty but
• constitutional character
• Preamble, Charter of Fundamental Rights included
• One document replacing all treaties previously
  existing
• Establish common state-like symbols (anthem,
  motto and flag)
• Important symbolic dimension

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(2) Constitutional TreatyMain reforms

• Leaken Declaration on the future of the European
  Union
• Need for institutional reform ? more democracy,
  transparency
• Europes new role in the globalised world ?
  stronger and more coherent foreign policy
• Expectations of the citizens

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• I.
• One treaty replacing four previously in force
• EU replacing EC
• More transparency in division of competences
  between EU and the MS
• Simplification of the Unions instruments
• Enhanced role of the national parliaments
• Better decision making (new definition of the
  qualified-majority in the vote in the Council)
• II.
• Union Minister of Foreign Affaires, being a full
  member of the Commission
• Military alliance clause

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(3) Constitutional TreatyWhy it has failed?

• Treaty had to be ratified by all MS of the EU.
• Ratification by the Parliament or in the
  Referendum
• In referendums in France and in Netherlands
  constitutional treaty was rejected
• Why?

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But the EU still need some reforms
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Intergovernmental Conference of 2007 and project
of the Reform Treaty
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Intergovernmental conference 2007

• Before - very long diplomatic discussions what
  with the Constitutional treaty?
• President Sarkozy idea of the mini treaty
• In June 2007, Portugal presidency - launching of
  the IGC charged with the very precise mandate
• Since July 2007 technical discussions
• Final text of the new treaty, so called Reform
  Treaty November 2007?

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(1) Reform Treatywhat it is and why europe
need it?

• Pragmatic reasons
• Enlargements - 12 new member states and 3
  candidate countries
• Need for more transparency, efficiency in
  decision making process
• New challenges and new problems (energy issue,
  spatial policy)

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(2) Reform TreatyMain reforms

• EU will have legal personality
• Rename the treaties treaty on the EU and the
  treaty on the functioning of the EU
• Long term EU presidency (2,5 years, elected by
  the EU leaders)
• High Representative for Foreign Affairs 9at the
  same time a vice-president of the Commission)
• New qualified majority voting system
• Stronger role of the national parliaments
  (national parliaments will have some time to
  examine the draft of the legislative texts)
• Solidarity clause
• More precise conditions for the candidate
  countries in the treaty
• Withdrawal clause

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(3)Reform TreatyMain problems

• Qualified-majority voting system (Polands
  opposition to the double majority)
• Character of the charter of the fundamental
  rights (Polands and UKs opposition)

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Semminar

• Is there European identity?