Press Release: Adapting the institutions to make a success of enlargement: Commission opinion on the reform of the institutions of the European Union

Romano Prodi, the President of the European Commission, and Michel Barnier, the Commissioner with special responsibility for the Intergovernmental Conference, presented on the 26.1.00 the Commission's opinion on the forthcoming revision of the Treaties. The document approved follows up the contribution the Commission adopted on 10 November 1999 for the Helsinki European Council. The Commission favours a far-reaching reform of the composition of the European Union institutions and of the decision-making process in order to make it more effective. The European Union needs to prepare to take in a large number of new Member States. The reform of the institutions is an essential step that has to be taken ahead of enlargement.

The Helsinki European Council on 10-11 December 1999 decided to begin accession negotiations with six new applicant countries and to confirm that Turkey is destined to join. The Union is therefore preparing for the biggest enlargement in its history. Article 48 of the Treaty on European Union requires the Commission to give its opinion before any institutional reform.

The document is in two parts: the first deals with the operation of the European institutions in the enlarged Union and the second with the effectiveness of decision-making procedures. It includes proposals for new Treaty articles, intended as a practical contribution to the proceedings of the Intergovernmental Conference. It also contains annexes.

http://ec.europa.eu/archives/igc2000/index_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/archives/igc2000/index_en.htm

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