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• Convention Praesidium: Text of Part I and Part II of the Constitution [ FR ] [ DE ] (12 June 2003)

• Convention Praesidium: Revised texts presented at the Plenary Session [ FR ] [ DE ] (12 June 2003)

• Convention Praesidium: New or revised provisions of Part III [ FR ] [ DE ] (11 June 2003)

• Convention Praesidium: Revised text of Part I [ FR ] [ DE ] (10 June 2003)

• Convention Praesidium: Part I, Title IV (Institutions) - revised text [ FR ] [ DE ] (2 June 2003)

• Convention Praesidium: Preamble [ FR ] [ DE ] (28 May 2003)

• Convention Praesidium: Draft Constitution, Volume I – Revised text of Part One [ FR ] [ DE ] (26 May 2003)

• Convention Praesidium: Draft Constitution, Volume II - Draft text of Parts Two, Three and Four [ FR ] [ DE ] (27 May 2003)

• Convention Praesidium: Draft text of Part II with comments [ FR ] [ DE ] (27 May 2003)

• Convention Praesidium: Draft text of Part IV with comments [ FR ] [ DE ] (27 May 2003)

• Convention Praesidium: Preliminary draft Constitutional Treaty [ FR ] [ DE ] (28 October 2002)

• Convention Praesidium: Proposed amendments to the text of the Articles of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe [ FR ] [ DE ]

• Convention Praesidium: Non-Paper: Schéma possible pour un "traité de base" (June 2002)

• Commission: Reaction of the European Commission to the proposals for institutional reform [ FR ] (23 April 2003)

• Commission: Communication "A Project for the European Union" [ FR ] [ DE ] (22 May 2002)

• EPP-ED Group: Convention for EU reform: Presidium does not represent the majority opinion of the Members of the Convention [ DE ] (27 May 2003)

• ELDR Group: Draft EU constitution - Blair wasting ammunition for battle ahead (26 May 2003)

• ELDR Group: Contribution by Mr Dini, Duff, Lequiller - For a single presidency, over time, of the European Council and the Commission

• Young European Federalists: If it's federal, then call it federal! (27 May 2003)

• The European Alliance of EU-Critical Movements: New draft of Constitution - now truer to its centralising intentions (26 May 2003)

• EPP-ED: Discussion Paper: The Constitution of the European Union (updated on 24 February 2003)

• PES: Does the draft constitution meet our expectations? [ DE ] (6 May 2003)

• PES: Contribution by Jo Leinen, Member of the European Parliament: Draft of a Constitution for the European Union (October 2002)

• ELDR: Contribution by Andrew Duff, Member of the Convention: A Model Constitution for a Federal Union of Europe (3 September 2002)

• The Greens: Giscard d'Estaing's proposals for the Convention [ FR ] [ DE ] (23 April 2003)

• Contribution from by Robert Badinter, alternate member of the Convention: A European Constitution (30 September 2002)

• Presidency of the French Republic: Contribution Franco-Allemande a la Convention Europeenne sur l'architecture institutionnelle de l'Union (15 January 2003)

• Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg: Benelux position on EU institutional reform (5 May 2003)

• Belgian Foreign Affairs Ministry: Memorandum Benelux on the reform of the Council (5 June 2002)

• Governments of Germany, France, the UK, Ireland and Poland: Joint contribution on the issue of the division of competence (13 June 2002)

• UNICE: UNICE proposal to establish an independent advisory group for business impact assessment of EU regulation (28 April 2003)

• ERT: Discussion Paper on EU Governance (30 May 2002)

• AmCham EU Committee: Position Paper on the Work of the Convention on the Future of Europe (March 2003)

• Austrian Federal Economic Chamber: An efficient and powerful future Europe [ DE ] (August 2002)

• Greenpeace: No Promotion of Nuclear Energy in the EU Constitution (26 May 2003)

• European Environmental Bureau: Revision of the EU Treaty

• WWF: A new constitution for a sustainable Europe

• Green G8: Initial Contribution to the Convention on the Future of Europe (18 April 2002)

• Federal Union: Proposals for the constitutional convention (March 2003)

• International European Movement: The structure of the Union"s Constitution [ FR ] (1 December 2002)

• TEAM - European alliance of EU-critical movements: Giscard's European Union State - a stab in the back for democracy (28 October 2002)

• TEAM: Federal EU State or not - It is time to speak out! (11 September 2002)

• TEAM: Working Paper: The EU State Constitution - A Critical Analysis

• Young European Federalists: Young European Federalists welcome the EPP Federal European Constitution (14 November 2002)

• Young European Federalists: Young Europeans propose the flesh to add to Giscard's skeleton (29 October 2002)

• Young European Federalists: British Constitutional Plan a recipe for EU stagnation (16 October 2002)

• Democracy Forum: Giscard presents State Constitution (28 October 2002)

• Euraction: Une Constitution Fédérale pour l'Europe

• CEPS: What Prospects for compromise on Institutional Questions in the Conventi on endgame? (May 2003)

• CEPS: Optimizing the Mechanism for 'Enhanced Cooperation' within the EU: Reccomendations for the Constitutional Treaty (May 2003)

• European University Institute: Ten reflections on the Constitutional Treaty for Europe [ FR ] [ DE ] (28 April 2003)

• Notre Europe: Large and small member states in the European Union: reinventing the balance (16 May 2002)

• Notre Europe: The institutional architecture of the European Union: a third Franco-German way? (16 May 2002)

• Bertelsmann Foundation: A System Out of Balance (14 May 2003)

• European Policy Centre: The Convention on the Future of Europe has lost its way (19 May 2003)

• European Policy Centre: Common nonsense – Defusing the escalating "Big versus Small" row (12 May 2003)

• Economist Intelligence Unit: The mother of all debates (7 May 2003)

• European University Institute: Ten reflections on the Constitutional Treaty for Europe [ FR ] [ DE ] (28 April 2003)

• Economist Intelligence Unit: The mother of all debates (7 May 2003)

• CEPS: Constitutionalising the Open Method of Coordination - What Should the Convention Propose? (March 2003)

• CEPS: The Battle for Power in Europe: Will the Convention get it right? (February 2003)

• Notre Europe: La nouvelle architecture institutionnelle de l'Union européenne : une troisième voie franco-allemande ? (April 2003)

• Notre Europe: Une Constitution britannique pour l'Europe ? (November 2003)

• Centre for European Reform: A critique of Penelope's provisions for foreign policy and the ratification of new treaties (April 2003)

• Centre for European Reform: A 'competence catalogue' is code for protectionism (20 June 2002)

• European Policy Centre: Time for a Government of the Union (April 2003)

• Institut Francais des Relations Internationales: La France et la Convention : entre les intérêts nationaux et une vision européenne (February 2003)

• Institut Francais des Relations Internationales: Europe des Etats, Europe fédérale (September 2002)

• Istituto Affari Internazionali: La ripartizione delle competenze tra Unione e Stati membri nei lavori della Convenzione di Bruxelles (March 2003)

• Istituto Affari Internazionali: The Democratic Legitimation of European Institutions (October 2002)

• Istituto Affari Internazionali: A Supranational Party System and the Legitimacy of the European Union (October 2002)

• Istituto Affari Internazionali: The Democratic Deficit of EU Foreign and Security Policy (October 2002)

• Federal Trust for Education and Research: Process, Responsibility and Inclusion in EU Constitutionalism: the challenge for the Convention on the Future of the Union (September 2002)

• l'Institut Royal des relations Internationales: The Perils of a European Constitution (September 2002)

• l'Institut Royal des relations Internationales: A Constitution of the European Union. Basic Treaty (September 2002)

• European Policy Centre: The Europe We Need - Constitution of the European Union (17 September 2002)

• Florence European University Institute: Report on the reorganisation of the European Treaties - final report and draft for basic treaty (15 May 2000)

• Robert Schuman Centre: A Unified and Simplified Model of the European Communities Treaties and the Treaty on European Union in Just One Treaty

• Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches sur la Coopération Internationale: Projet de Constitution de l'Union Européenne

Simplification of the Treaties is one of the key objectives of the Convention. A simplified constitutional treaty could help to render the EU more understandable for its citizens, and the responsibilities of those involved in the decision-making process would be more clearly established.

Currently, the EU is governed by several treaties that have been revised during its 50-year history. The three original Treaties founding the European Communities were the Treaty establishing the European Community, the Treaty establishing the Atomic Energy Community and the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community. They were followed by the Single Act, the Treaty on European Union (Treaty of Maastricht), the Treaty of Amsterdam and the Treaty of Nice, which entered into force on 1 February 2003.

In addition, the Treaty of Maastricht created a new entity, the European Union, with a three-pillar structure: the Community pillar (corresponding to the three Community Treaties), the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) pillar and the justice and home affairs (JHA) pillar.

The Treaty of Amsterdam transferred to the Community pillar part of the activities covered by the third pillar, which is now limited to judicial and police cooperation in criminal matters. The main characteristics of the second and third pillars are decision-making procedures and instruments of action which are more intergovernmental in nature than the Community method.

Other EU primary legislation comprises:

Accession Treaties;

Acts or Decisions (for example, Decisions relating to the location of the seats of institutions or other bodies, or the Act concerning the election of representatives of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage);

around 40 Protocols having the value of Treaties;

many Joint or unilateral Declarations accompanying each Treaty.

The Convention' Praesidium unveiled the first outline of the future European Constitution, entitled the "Treaty establishing a constitution for Europe", on 28 October 2002.

On 26 and 27 May, the Praesidium proposed the complete draft of the future Constitution. Some of the key points are:

EU to have legal personality and single legal framework;

EU to be called 'European Union';

Permanent EU President to replace six-month rotating Presidency by each Member State;

EU Foreign Minister to conduct common foreign policy;

Mutual defence clause to provide for mutual assistance in case of terrorist attack; a predecessor to common defence policy;

Commission to be reduced to 15 full members and 15 associate commissioners without voting rights;

European Parliament's powers more than doubled from 34 to 70 policy areas;

EU Public Prosecutor to investigate cross-border fraud against the EU taxpayer;

Legally binding Charter of Fundamental Rights;

Members of the eurozone to appoint 'Mr Euro' and to set economic policy guidelines for the eurozone;

Tax harmonisation introduced;

Qualified majority voting applied in most areas, nation vetoes limited to a small number of areas;

A double majority system will require the votes of half the Member States, representing at least 60 percent of the total EU population;

Membership exit clause to allow Member States to leave the EU after negotiating exit terms.

Here is the draft Constitutional Treaty debated by the Convention:

• Preamble [ FR ] [ DE ]

• , 28 October 2002 [ FR ] [ DE ]

• Draft Constitution, Volume I – Revised text of Part One [ FR ] (26 May 2003)

• Amendments [ FR ] [ DE ]

Part I of the Constitution  

• TITLE I: Definition and objectives of the Union FR ] [ DE ]

• Amendments

• Debate [ FR ]

• EurActiv Summary

• TITLE II: Fundamental rights and citizenship of the Union FR ] [ DE ]

• Amendments

• EurActiv Summary

• TITLE III: The Union's competences FR ] [ DE ]

• Amendments

• Debate [ FR ]

• EurActiv Summary

• TITLE IV: The Union's Institutions FR ] [ DE ]

• Debate [ FR ]

• Part I, Title IV (Institutions) - revised text [ FR ] [ DE ] (2 June 2003)

• EurActiv Summary

• TITLE V: Exercise of union competence FR ] [ DE ]

• Amendments

• Debate [ FR ]

• TITLE VI: The democratic life of the Union FR ] [ DE ]

• Amendments

• Debate [ FR ]

• EurActiv Summary

• TITLE VII : Union finances FR ] [ DE ]

• Amendments

• Debate [ FR ]

• EurActiv Summary

• TITLE IX: The Union and its immediate environment FR ] [ DE ]

• Amendments

• TITLE X: Union membership FR ] [ DE ]

• Amendments

• EurActiv Summary

Part Two of the Constitution

• TITLE B: The Union's external action FR ] [ DE ]

• Amendments

• Debate [ FR ]

• TITLE ...: Area of freedom, security and justice [ FR ] [ DE ]

• Amendments

• Debate [ FR ]

• EurActiv Summary

• Part III of the Constitution: General and final provisions FR ] [ DE ]

• Amendments

Protocols

• The application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality [ FR ] [ DE ]

• Amendments

• Debate [ FR ]

• EurActiv Summary

• The role of national parliaments in the European Union [ FR ] [ DE ]

• Amendments

• Debate [ FR ]

• EurActiv Summary

Method of coordination

• Amendments

Positions :

The eight largest environmental NGOs in Europe, the

"Green 8" , have issued a letter to the members of the Convention's Praesidium on 13 May 2003, outlining serious concerns about the Convention's draft for a European Constitution. The organisations urged Convention members to make key changes to the draft Constitution during the final few days of their work. The open letter focuses on the following five issues:

Lack of an ambitious approach to environmental protection and a definition of sustainable development;

Possible deterioration of the principles of environmental policy integration and policy coherence;

Vague and incomplete requirements for participatory democracy;

Outdated chapters on policies must be revised properly to ensure that they reflect the EU's objectives of environmental policy integration, improving the quality of life and sustainable development;

The legitimisation of Euratom would be a pro-nuclear decision, and as such is an unacceptable promotion of one single, heavily disputed form of energy production.

The British Government proposed that an EU Constitution should clarify the division of powers between the EU and national governments. It should enshrine a simple set of principles, set out in plain language what the EU is for and how it can add value, and reassure the public that national governments will remain the primary source of political legitimacy. A new EU body, "a subsidiarity watchdog", comprised of members of national parliaments, is to be created to check that the EU is not taking power from national and regional governments.

The Group of the European People's Party and European Democrats in the European Parliament said that a future European Constitution should build on the existing Treaties to create a community sharing a common legal system. It should bring together in one document the current EU law, divided into five parts: the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the principles of the Union, its organisation, reinforced cooperation and general and final regulations.

The British Liberal MEP,

Andrew Duff , Member of the European Convention, proposed that a European Constitution should merge the three 'pillars'. The security and defence policy should remain primarily under the control of the Council. Organic Law should be introduced as a new form of legislative act at the top of the hierarchy, designed for quasi-constitutional matters where the balance of power between the institutions and among Member States is affected.

The Convention will continue its debate of the draft Articles of the future Constitutional Treaty at its plenary sessions on 15-16 May, 30-31 May, 5-6 June and 12-13 June.

The Convention is due to present its proposal for a draft EU Constitutional Treaty to the European Council in Thessaloniki on 20 June 2003.  

The Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) that will follow the Convention is to adopt a new Constitutional Treaty for the Union. The 10 future Member States will fully participate in the IGC and the Treaty is due to be signed after their accession to the EU.  

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