ARCHIVE AND DOCUMENTATION CENTRE (CARDOC) DIRECTORATE-GENERAL For THE PRESIDENCY EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION A STUDY OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ACCOMPANIED BY ARCHIVE DOCUMENTS Author and document researcher: Franco Piodi Iconographic research and : Margret Schelling Study coordinator: Donato Antona © Cover: European Parliament © Back cover: Philip Lange, Anthony Brown, Andy Raatz, Teun van den Vries, Amanda Rohde The opinions expressed in this document are those of its author and in no way represent the point of view of the European Parliament or a body or service thereof. All EP documents quoted and not reproduced in the annexes can be consulted at the CARDOC. DIRECTORATE-GENERAL – PRESIDENCY ARCHIVE AND DOCUMENTATION CENTRE (CARDOC) [email protected] © European Communities 1995-2007 Printed in Luxembourg Table of contents PREFACE BY THE SECRETARY-GENERAL ........................................................................................................................................................ 7 NOTICE ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9 PART 1 THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION I FROM THE TREATY OF NICE TO THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ........................................................................................ 13 1. The political debate in the 1990s ......................................................................................................................................... 13 2. From the Treaty of Nice to the Göteborg European Council ............................................................................. 15 3. The opposing visions of Schröder and Jospin ............................................................................................................. 16 4. The Göteborg European Council ......................................................................................................................................... 17 5. The European Parliament’s appeals to the Laeken European Council ........................................................ 18 6. The establishment of the Convention .............................................................................................................................. 19 7. The Parliamentary debate on the establishment of the Convention .......................................................... 21 II ORGANISATION AND FUNCTIONING OF THE CONVENTION .............................................................................................. 23 1. The composition of the Convention ................................................................................................................................. 23 2. Internal organisation: the Praesidium ............................................................................................................................... 24 3. Internal organisation: the Working Groups ................................................................................................................... 25 4. Working method ............................................................................................................................................................................ 26 5. Participation by civil society: the Forum ........................................................................................................................ 27 6. Timetable ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 28 III THE LISTENING SESSIONS (MARCH-SEPTEMBER 2002) ........................................................................................................... 29 1. What do you expect of the European Union? ............................................................................................................. 29 2. The missions of the Union ...................................................................................................................................................... 30 3. Achieving the Union’s missions: efficiency and legitimacy ................................................................................ 32 4. Instruments and procedures ................................................................................................................................................. 33 5. Area of freedom, security and justice: the role of the Union and the Member States ...................... 34 6. The role of national parliaments in the European architecture ....................................................................... 35 7. The Union’s external action .................................................................................................................................................... 35 8. Union policies ................................................................................................................................................................................. 37 3 THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION IV EUROPEAN UNION, MEMBER STATES AND CITIZENS ............................................................................................................. 39 1. The characteristic features of the European Union ................................................................................................. 39 2. Fundamental rights and citizenship of the Union ................................................................................................... 41 3. The democratic life of the Union ........................................................................................................................................ 42 4. Union membership ..................................................................................................................................................................... 43 5. Relations between the Union and the Member States ........................................................................................ 44 6. The role of the national parliaments.................................................................................................................................. 45 V THE COMPETENCES OF THE UNION ................................................................................................................................................. 47 1. Union competences: the principles of delimitation and use ........................................................................... 47 2. Union competences: the Working Group on subsidiarity .................................................................................. 48 3. Union competences: categories in the Treaties in force ...................................................................................... 49 4. Union competences: the debate on categories ....................................................................................................... 50 5. Union competences: the Convention’s proposals ................................................................................................... 51 6. Area of freedom, security and justice .............................................................................................................................. 53 7. Foreign and defence policy: the existing situation ................................................................................................. 55 8. Foreign and defence policy: the debate outside the Convention ................................................................ 56 9. Foreign and defence policy: the Convention’s Working Groups .................................................................... 57 10. External and defence policy: the Praesidium’s draft ................................................................................................ 59 11. Enhanced cooperation ............................................................................................................................................................. 60 VI INSTITUTIONS AND PROCEDURES ...................................................................................................................................................... 63 1. Starting positions ........................................................................................................................................................................... 63 2. The composition of the Commission .............................................................................................................................. 64 3. Presidency of the Council ........................................................................................................................................................ 65 4. The Praesidium’s draft ................................................................................................................................................................. 66 5. The debate within the Convention .................................................................................................................................... 68 6. The institutions in the Final Draft ......................................................................................................................................