Democrat - July 2007 (Number 103)

German Presidency Conclusions

European Council Brussels, 21/22 June 2007

Annex I Draft IGC Exclusive Mandate to prepare for a
new Treaty on European Constitution (Eventually to become Lisbon Treaty)

"The present mandate will provide the exclusive basis and framework for the work of the IGC..."

I. General Observations

1. The IGC is asked to draw up a Treaty (hereinafter called "Reform Treaty") amending the existing Treaties with a view to enhancing the efficiency and democratic legitimacy of the enlarged Union, as well as the coherence of its external action. The constitutional concept, which consisted of repealing all existing Treaties and replacing them by a single text called "Constitution", is abandoned. The Reform Treaty will introduce into the existing Treaties, which remain in force, the innovations resulting from the 2004 IGC, as set out below in a detailed fashion.

2. The Reform Treaty will contain two substantive clauses amending respectively the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and the Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC). The TEU will keep its present name and the TEC will be called Treaty on the Functioning of the Union, the Union having a single legal personality. The word "Community" will throughout be replaced by the word "Union"; it will be stated that the two Treaties constitute the Treaties on which the Union is founded and that the Union replaces and succeeds the Community. Further clauses will contain the usual provisions on ratification and entry into force as well as transitional arrangements. Technical amendments to the Euratom Treaty and to the existing Protocols, as agreed in the 2004 IGC, will be done via Protocols attached to the Reform Treaty.

3. The TEU and the Treaty on the Functioning of the Union will not have a constitutional character. The terminology used throughout the Treaties will reflect this change: the term "Constitution" will not be used, the "Union Minister for Foreign Affairs" will be called High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the denominations "law" and "framework law" will be abandoned, the existing denominations "regulations", "directives" and "decisions" being retained. Likewise, there will be no article in the amended Treaties mentioning the symbols of the EU such as the flag, the anthem or the motto. Concerning the primacy of EU law, the IGC will adopt a Declaration recalling the existing case law of the EU Court of Justice.*

4. As far as the content of the amendments to the existing Treaties is concerned, the innovations resulting from the 2004 IGC will be integrated into the TEU and the Treaty on the Functioning of the Union, as specified in this mandate. Modifications to these innovations introduced as a result of the consultations held with the Member States over the past 6 months are clearly indicated below. They concern in particular the respective competences of the EU and the Member States and their delimitation, the specific nature of the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the enhanced role of national parliaments, the treatment of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and a mechanism, in the area of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters, enabling Member States to go forward on a given act while allowing others not to participate . . .

* Whilst the Article on primacy of Union law will not be reproduced in the TEU, the IGC will agree on the following Declaration: "The Conference recalls that, in accordance with well settled case-law of the EU Court of Justice, the Treaties and the law adopted by the Union on the basis of the Treaties have primacy over the law of Member States, under the conditions laid down by the said case-law." In addition, the opinion of the Legal Service of the Council (doc. 580/07) will be annexed to the Final Act of the Conference.