The Treaty of Nice, December 2000 the struggle for power and influence

Key questions under discussion l Majority voting l Rebalancing votes l The European Commission l Flexibility/enhanced co-operation l Charter of Rights

Tensions - l power shift to Germany? –decisions will need 73% of votes in Council of Ministers AND must have the backing of 62% of the total population l Franco-German chemistry under pressure? l limited progress on increasing number of subjects decided by majority voting

Vote Weightings - agreed Nice Dec.2000

Vote weighting in EU - current and in future

EU members and potential members - population and number of MEPs

Enlargement? l some concrete outcomes as voting weights for new countries agreed l Reform of Common Agricultural Policy not discussed l Movements of labour from East to West still has to be discussed

Commission? l in 2005, large states lose their second Commissioner l size of Commission will be capped ( less than 27) l automatic and equal rotation agreed l Commission President - can sack fellow Commissioners

Charter of Fundamental Rights l ‘proclaimed’ in the Nice Treaty l decision on the status of the Charter to be decided at the next IGC (2004) l this document brings together the civil, political, economic and social rights and freedoms to which citizens of the Union are entitled l This document is not judiciable – ECJ cannot refer to it in the interpretation of EU law.

Post-Nice: developments l National Forum for Europe: –Opened by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, 18 Oct –The debate is about: l The separation of power between the Union and member states l The status of the Charter of Fundamental Human Rights l Simplification of the Treaties l The role of national parliaments

The separation of power between the Union and member states l This issue first raised in 90s and was contextualised in Maastricht Treaty in Articles 3b ‘subsidiarity: l A unique constitutional model: –Who is responsible for what –How do Member States and the Community’s responsibilities interlink

The status of the Charter of Fundamental Human Rights

Simplification of the Treaties

The role of national parliaments