|
The ten-point
summary of the draft
Constitutional
Treaty
1. Britain and the other member states agree to establish a
European Union so that they can work together where they need
to. The Union has a Constitution setting out what is done at
the European level. It can be changed if everyone agrees. Any
European State can join or leave.
2. The Union is based on certain principles: human dignity,
liberty, democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human
rights. It aims at promoting peace, its values, and its
peoples' well-being. It treats all equally. Its citizens'
rights are set down in a Charter.
3. It is a Union of the citizens and States of Europe. Its
decisions are taken as closely as possible to the citizens. It
respects its Member States' national identities, and the
Member States must help each other fulfil the Union's
objectives. It works openly.
4. The Union has only the powers the Member States give it.
It acts at EU level only when it needs to. When it does act,
its laws prevail over Member States' laws.
5. The main bodies of the Union are: a Council with
Ministers from each member state; a European Parliament with
MEPs from each member state; an independent Commission; and a
Court with Judges from each member state. There are other
bodies. The Council and Commission have Presidents. The union
has a Budget, which must balance.
6. The leaders of the Member States, meeting in the
European Council and acting unanimously, are in charge of the
Union's political direction. Acting within their guidance, the
Commission will propose EU laws, and the Council will decide
on them, often by majority vote and jointly with the European
Parliament.
7. There will be a single market, with free movement of
goods, peoples, services, and capital across the Union.
8. Member States co-ordinate their economic policies. There
will be a single currency, the Euro, for member states that
wish to participate and meet the conditions.
9. There will be common action, more in some areas than
others, where it makes sense to work together: agriculture,
fisheries, transport, environment, illegal immigration,
asylum, fighting crime, and so on. In some areas, smaller
groups of Member States can act together.
10. Member states will seek to act together in foreign and
defence policy, but both remain intergovernmental and subject
to unanimity. Common action will be co-ordinated through a
European foreign affairs representative.
Back to
news story | 
