About: IGC

EU summit: leaders strike treaty deal

European leaders on Thursday (18 October) reached a deal on a new 'Reform Treaty', ending two years of stalemate following the rejection of the draft EU Constitution in 2005. But attention is now soon to turn to ratification, with several countries under pressure to hold a referendum on the new text.

EU treaty summit: nothing left to discuss?

With most disagreements on the draft 'Reform Treaty' ironed out, the Portuguese Presidency has decided to shift EU leaders' attention to a general debate on globalisation at an informal summit in Lisbon. Meanwhile, a new opinion poll shows citizens in the EU's five largest member states are in favour of holding a referendum on the new text.

Italy says Parliament reshuffle ‘unacceptable’

New plans for the distribution of MEPs' seats have come under attack by Italy, which risks losing out on equal footing with France and the UK. Prime Minister Romano Prodi said Italy might block the new system from being inserted in the new EU Treaty to be agreed at a summit in Lisbon next week.

EU officials confident in run-up to Treaty summit

The Portuguese Presidency and the Commission have shown optimism that an agreement can be found on the proposed Reform Treaty at a crucial summit in Lisbon next week. They were in Parliament yesterday to update MEPs on the issue as Poland remains the last stumbling block.

Poland ‘very optimistic’ over new EU Treaty deal

Polish President Lech Kaczynski said he was '95-98%' confident that the EU will come to an agreement on the proposed Reform Treaty following a meeting with French President Nicholas Sarkozy, just days ahead of the summit that is set to seal the final accord.

Legal experts hand over draft EU Treaty for approval

A draft version of the EU's new Reform Treaty was provisionally approved by legal experts yesterday (2 October), but some political issues, such as the Polish demand to add the 'Ioannina compromise' on voting rights, could resurface at an informal summit two weeks from now.

Wallström in push to change EU communications strategy

In a new plan to be unveiled today (3 October), the Commission will propose that member states and EU institutions put an end to the "Brussels blame game" and join forces around a common communications strategy in order to win back support from citizens for the 2009 European elections.

Barroso urges Poland to ‘solve EU’s problems’

On a visit to Warsaw, Commission President José Manuel Barroso called on Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski to 'find technical solutions' to the EU's draft Reform Treaty, as Poland is again making Council voting rights a stumbling block in the negotiations, due to be finalised in October.

Barroso urges UK to support EU Treaty

Commission President José Manuel Barroso has urged the UK to give its backing on the Reform Treaty, in time for the next Summit on 18-19 October, but avoided a clear positioning on the UK referendum question.

Distribution of seats in the European Parliament

In this paper for the Robert Schuman Foundation, Thierry Chopin and Jean-François Jeannet explore the available options for distributing seats in the European Parliament, aiming to determine which best satisfies both democratic and diplomatic issues.

Polish elections hang over EU Treaty talks

The EU is hopeful of finalising its new 'Reform Treaty' in less than six weeks, despite renewed worries over the upcoming Polish elections to be held on 21 October, foreign ministers announced after an informal meeting on 7-8 September. 

Parliament: EU Treaty talks will raise political issues

The UK opt-out on the charter of fundamental rights is among the issues in need of "further legal clarification", according to the three MEPs taking part in the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) after a meeting with Commission President José Manuel Barroso.

Interview: ‘Two-speed Europe means more choices’

With formal discussions on a new EU 'Reform Treaty' launched this week, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi says he is favourable to a two-speed Europe in order to prevent the less euro-enthusiast from setting the pace. He spoke to EURACTIV Slovakia about his desire for a stronger Union.

Prodi: Reform Treaty ‘best compromise we could get’

Italian PM and former Commission president Romano Prodi talks to EURACTIV Slovakia about the new EU Treaty and his desire for a stronger European Union. He believes that a two-speed integration is sometimes needed to go forward. 

Foreign ministers open EU Treaty talks

Negotiations have begun to finalise the draft 'Reform Treaty', based on the detailed mandate agreed by EU leaders at the June Summit. Representatives of the EU institutions have urged member states not to open up new issues and reach an agreement by October.

Giscard: Treaty changes made to avoid referenda

Valery Giscard d’Estaing, the 'father' of the EU Constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005, said the draft ‘Reform Treaty’ agreed at the June Summit only represented ‘cosmetic changes’ compared to the preivous version - in remarks that will comfort critics who argue that the new Treaty brings the Constitution in 'by the back door'.

Portugal holds firm on EU Treaty mandate

The Portuguese EU Presidency has vowed to stick a hard-won June agreement to draft an EU Reform Treaty, amid concerns that Poland might ask to reopen discussions on voting rights in the Council.

Parliament to give green light for IGC

The European Parliament is expected to give the go-ahead for the 'Reform Treaty' mandate, despite criticism concerning the large number of exemptions and footnotes in the draft text agreed by EU leaders at the June Summit.

Summit seals mandate for EU ‘Reform Treaty’

European Union leaders clinched an agreement in the early hours on Saturday (23 June) to reform the EU's creaking institutions in a complex compromise which introduces a two-step delay in new Council voting rights vehemently resisted by Poland.

Brown, Blair and the Constitutional Treaty

Prime Minister Tony Blair believes that no referendum on the Constitutional Treaty would need to be held in the UK if, instead of attempting revive the original wide-ranging Treaty, the members states now simply agreed on a series of amendments, writes Brendan Donnelly of the Federal Union.

Parliament pushes for ‘Treaty plus’

MEPs have threatened to vote down a new EU Treaty that would fail to preserve the key elements of the draft EU Constitution, as Parliament struggles to make its voice heard ahead of the June Summit on institutional reform.

Constitutional Treaty – key elements [Archived]

EU leaders signed the Constitutional Treaty in autumn 2004, but the ratification was stalled following the two negative votes on the text in France and the Netherlands in 2005. EU leaders are now seeking to agree to a new treaty on the basis of the constitutional provisions. This dossier outlines the key changes proposed by the Constitutional Treaty text to the current system based on the provisions of the Nice Treaty.

Constitution and community – Social underpinnings of a legal order

This Online Paper by the Federal Trust looks at the main social underpinnings of a constitutional order at a post-national level.

Former French PM Fabius imposes conditions for supporting EU Constitution

Aspiring president Laurent Fabius has warned he will call for a 'no' vote during the French referendum on the EU Constitution if Chirac and EU leaders do not agree on reforms to make Europe more social.