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House of Lords

Session 2002-03 Publications on the internet European Union Committee Publications

European Union - Forty-First Report Here you can browse the report which was ordered by the House of Lords to be printed 21 October 2003. CONTENTS ABSTRACT CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Why are we having yet another European Treaty? Agreeing a Treaty - the process The Convention on the Future of Europe The Thessaloniki European Council The Convention's work going forward - the IGC How should we judge the Convention's draft Treaty? The big question: is the draft Treaty good for Britain? Another big question: does the draft Treaty do what it is supposed to do? What this report is; and what it is not Our work Our key themes The need for more detailed analysis Structure of this report Terminology Evidence CHAPTER 2: DOES A CONSTITUTION IMPLY A EUROPEAN STATE? What is the draft Treaty about? What is the EU? Definition of the Union Objectives of the Union Competences Introduction The fundamental principles The division of competences New competences Future extension of competence Qualified Majority Voting (QMV) Subsidiarity Exit Clause Future Treaty revision Conclusions CHAPTER 3: WHO WILL BE RUNNING THE EU? The European Council President of the European Council The job description Arguments for and against the new post The job title: a president or a chair? Candidates for the job Conclusion: the chair should be supported Procedures in the European Council The Council of Ministers: a Legislative Council The operation of QMV in the Council of Ministers Passerelle - a bridge too far? The calculation of votes in the Council Co-Decision - the Legislative procedure Competences of the European Parliament Changes to the Commission The President of the Commission Number of Commissioners Other Institutions The European Court of Justice The European Central Bank The Court of Auditors Overall conclusion: Reforming the institutions - a more effective Union? CHAPTER 4: TRANSPARENCY, DEMOCRACY AND ACCOUNTABILITY Introduction Transparency The Convention An open IGC? What do people make of the Treaty? Government's duty to inform the UK public Democracy and accountability Role of National Parliaments Democratic life of the Union CHAPTER 5: THE EU IN ALL OUR LIVES Introduction A Bill of Rights? - the Charter Area of freedom, security and justice Background The abolition of the pillars The role of national parliaments Border checks, asylum and immigration Judicial co-operation in criminal matters Police co-operation CHAPTER 6: THE EU, A PLAYER ON THE GLOBAL STAGE? Introduction Security and Defence Foreign Policy Decision-making in foreign and security policy Relations with International Organisations Openness and Accountability in the Union's conduct of CFSP Conclusions CHAPTER 7: SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS The IGC The need for analysis of the draft Treaty Definition and objectives of the Union Competences Qualified Majority Voting (QMV) Subsidiarity Future Treaty Revision What is new in the Treaty? President of the European Council Legislative Council Other Council formations The passerelle Majority Voting European Parliament The Commission Other Institutions Institutional change Transparency Democracy: National Parliaments and scrutiny The Charter of Fundamental Rights Freedom, Security and Justice Security and Defence Foreign Policy Decision-making in foreign and security policy CFSP-overall conclusions Recommendation to the House Appendix 1: Membership European Union Committee Appendix 2: Minutes of Divisions Appendix 3: Previous Reports Appendix 4: Some views from other Member States Appendix 5: Transcript of oral Evidence taken by Sub-Committee C Appendix 6: Government Responses: Ninth Report-The Future of Europe Constitutional Treaty-Draft Articles 1-16 Eleventh Report-The Future of Europe: National Parliaments and Subsidiarity- The Proposed Protocols Twelfth Report-The Future of Europe: Constitutional Treaty-Draft Articles 24-33 Fourteenth Report-The Future of Europe: Social Europe Sixteenth Report-The Future of Europe: Constitutional Treaty-Draft Article and Draft Articles from Part 2 (Freedom, Security and Justice) Eighteenth Report-The Future of Europe: Constitutional Treaty- Draft Articles 43-46 (Union membership) and General and Final Provisions Twenty-First Report-The Future of Europe: Constitutional Draft Treaty- Draft Articles on the Institutions Twenty-Second Report-The Future of Europe: Constitutional Treaty-Articles 33-37 (The Democratic Life of the Union) Thirty-Fifth Report-The Future of Europe: Progress Report on the Draft Constitutional Treaty and the IGC ORAL EVIDENCE Monsieur H Haenel, Président de la Délégation pour l'Union Européenne and Monsieur Laporte, Clerk, French Senate, 24 June 2003 Rt Hon Peter Hain, Leader of the House of Commons, Secretary of State for Wales and the Government's Representative on the Convention, Mr Thomas Drew, Head of the Future of Europe and Institutions Section and Ms Sarah Lyons, Foreign Office, 8 July 2003 WRITTEN EVIDENCE The Brethren in Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Sweden Clifford Chance Professor Eileen Denza Rt Hon the Lord Owen CH Jo Shaw, Professor and Jean Monnet, Chair of European Law, University of Manchester

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