Rethinking the European Union. IGC 2000 and beyond

Book abstract:

The European Union is in a process of adjustment, with a prospect of enlargement from fifteen Member States to nearly thirty. The 2000 Intergovernmental Conference (IGC), which started on 14.2.00 and which is scheduled to be completed by the European Council in Nice in December 2000, centres on crucial institutional issues facing the EU. The challenge is not only to reform European institutions in the face of greater numbers, but also to rethink European integration in response to changing realities.

This book brings together contributions from senior practitioners, academics and several negotiators in the IGC. It offers insight into the political debate and the broader implications of the institutional issues, as well as the parallel processes concerning European Security and Defence Policy and a Charter of Fundamental Rights. It consists of three main sections. The first part reflects the prolonged political debate regarding which issues need to be resolved in the context of the Intergovernmental Conference. The second part looks at the fundamental questions faced by negotiators in greater depth. The three main issues of the composition of the Commission, the weighting of votes in the Council and qualified-majority voting are each examined. In addition, the book addresses the case for modifying the flexibility provisions introduced by the Amsterdam Treaty, and looks at the two parallel processes on security and defence and on a Charter of Fundamental Rights. The final part of the book looks beyond the Intergovernmental Conference to address the broader political issues surrounding the future of the European Union such as what is the real constitutional agenda for Europe? And are the IGCs the most effective or appropriate way to manage change or to rethink Europe?