Nice Try: Should the Treaty of Nice be ratified?

Book abstract:

This report, written by a team of distinguished academics, was intended to inform the decision of whether to ratify the Nice Treaty. It is highly critical of the Treaty but argues that it should be passed since it is 'repairable' and that rejecting it would delay Eastern enlargement.

The authors use empirical evidence and analytic techniques to show that the Treaty fails to meet its goal of adjusting EU decision-making to the realities of a Union with more than 27 members. The authors argue that the Nice reforms reduce EU27 decision-making efficiency below what it would have been with no reform. This in turn, the report suggests, would dry up the flow of new legislation, thus stripping the Commission and European Parliament of power and the Community Approach of its viability. The Report argues that unless the Treaty is mended to restore efficiency, future integration will be guided by intergovernmental initiatives in which large members play a bigger role due to their economic dominance. Finally, the report recommends two 'emergency repairs' to the Treaty which could be implemented at or before the next Intergovernmental Conference in 2004. The authors argue that these actions would help to redress the shortcomings of the Treaty.