EU leaders sign new constitution

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

DrTeeth

Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
Joined
Sep 13, 2000
Messages
4,770
Location
The Q continuum
From the BBC and also additional information here.

European Union leaders have signed the new EU constitution in a lavish ceremony held in Rome.
Heads of state and government took it in turn to sign the text in the same room where the Treaty of Rome was signed to establish the EU in 1957.

Soooo, let's see how long it takes before this topic gets burried in FYM underneath the US election nonsense. :wink:

Well, any opinions? How do people, where applicable, plan to vote in the upcoming referenda? Anything else (on topic) you wish to share ?
 
do you know what ever became of the whole 'god' debate? i recall reading about it over the summer.

i'd like to hear some common europeans' opinions on this in general as well.
 
What do Europeans think about the ramifications of that for Turkey? Will that make it easier for Turkey it get in the EU?

Hmmmm.... :)

SD
 
Dr. Teeth

What is your opinion of the new constitution? Does it strike the right balance of power between the union and the indivdual member states? Things that should be added? Things that go too far?
 
I´d have to read it in order to comment about it. What I can say, is that it is incredibly stupid that the news channels did not make it the story of the month. people should be informed about it because this constitution will change every Europeans life.

The question nbcrusader has posted is very interesting. Indeed, I can recall that 2 years ago there were long discussions about the subsidiarity principle.

I also would like to see parts about European defense policy. Hmm, maybe I´ll get some information about this stuff.
 
Sorry for the graphics, copied it.

ARTICLE I-1
Establishment of the Union

1. Reflecting the will of the citizens and States of Europe to build a common future, this
Constitution establishes the European Union, on which the Member States confer competences to
attain objectives they have in common. The Union shall coordinate the policies by which the
Member States aim to achieve these objectives, and shall exercise on a Community basis the
competences they confer on it.

2. The Union shall be open to all European States which respect its values and are committed to
promoting them together.

ARTICLE I-2
The Union's values
The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the
rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.
These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination,
tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail.
 
That´s not all ;) Actually it just starts to get interesting.

ARTICLE I-3
The Union's objectives
1. The Union's aim is to promote peace, its values and the well-being of its peoples.
2. The Union shall offer its citizens an area of freedom, security and justice without internal
frontiers, and an internal market where competition is free and undistorted.
3. The Union shall work for the sustainable development of Europe based on balanced economic
growth and price stability, a highly competitive social market economy, aiming at full employment
and social progress, and a high level of protection and improvement of the quality of the
environment. It shall promote scientific and technological advance.
It shall combat social exclusion and discrimination, and shall promote social justice and protection,
equality between women and men, solidarity between generations and protection of the rights of the
child.

It shall promote economic, social and territorial cohesion, and solidarity among Member States.
It shall respect its rich cultural and linguistic diversity, and shall ensure that Europe's cultural
heritage is safeguarded and enhanced.

4. In its relations with the wider world, the Union shall uphold and promote its values and
interests. It shall contribute to peace, security, the sustainable development of the Earth, solidarity
and mutual respect among peoples, free and fair trade, eradication of poverty and the protection of
human rights, in particular the rights of the child, as well as to the strict observance and the
development of international law, including respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter.

5. The Union shall pursue its objectives by appropriate means commensurate with the
competences which are conferred upon it in the Constitution.

Article I-3 no. 4 is nice. I´m sure the NGOs, who were participating in the preparation of the craft, influenced that one.

"free and fair trade" is ummm... not exactly contradicting each other, but nearly.. I wonder how they´re going to promote that one.

Cool to see "eradication of poverty". :up:

Also nice is international law, and the UN Charter. Anyway "respect for the principles of the UN Charter" doesn´t necessarily mean Blair has to think about Iraq... everyone can still quarrel about what "respect" means at that point.
 
ARTICLE I-4
Fundamental freedoms and non-discrimination
1. The free movement of persons, services, goods and capital, and freedom of establishment
shall be guaranteed within and by the Union, in accordance with the Constitution.
2. Within the scope of the Constitution, and without prejudice to any of its specific provisions,
any discrimination on grounds of nationality shall be prohibited.

I-4: free movement of capital heh? Means no taxes on speculations?

As to your question, nbcrusader: this is addressed in I-5... the words they used show that they were discussing hard at that point.. (take a look at the last sentence of I-5 :lol:)

ARTICLE I-5
Relations between the Union and the Member States
1. The Union shall respect the equality of Member States before the Constitution as well as their
national identities, inherent in their fundamental structures, political and constitutional, inclusive of
regional and local self-government. It shall respect their essential State functions, including
ensuring the territorial integrity of the State, maintaining law and order and safeguarding national
security.
2. Pursuant to the principle of sincere cooperation, the Union and the Member States shall, in
full mutual respect, assist each other in carrying out tasks which flow from the Constitution.
The Member States shall take any appropriate measure, general or particular, to ensure fulfilment of
the obligations arising out of the Constitution or resulting from the acts of the institutions of the
Union.
The Member States shall facilitate the achievement of the Union's tasks and refrain from any
measure which could jeopardise the attainment of the Union's objectives.

ARTICLE I-6
Union law
The Constitution and law adopted by the institutions of the Union in exercising competences
conferred on it shall have primacy over the law of the Member States.

ARTICLE I-7
Legal personality
The Union shall have legal personality.

ARTICLE I-8
The symbols of the Union
The flag of the Union shall be a circle of twelve golden stars on a blue background.
The anthem of the Union shall be based on the "Ode to Joy" from the Ninth Symphony by
Ludwig van Beethoven.
The motto of the Union shall be: "United in diversity".
The currency of the Union shall be the euro.
Europe day shall be celebrated on 9 May throughout the Union.

Uh, article I-6 is a tuff one. Depends on the competences addressed. As to I-8 ... they couldn´t have picked a cooler Motto?
The message "United in diversity" is ok by me, but it sounds like a bad advertising slogan.
 
Last edited:
I am quite against this constitution, and find it regretable that such a constituion was endorsed. Then again, I'm British, so you half-expected that anyway.

Ant.
 
So you would be a Eurosceptic (though probably not in the same mould as Robert Kilroy Silk) or just don't like the current form of it?
 
Anthony said:
I am quite against this constitution, and find it regretable that such a constituion was endorsed. Then again, I'm British, so you half-expected that anyway.

Ant.

Anthony, why are you against it? Except of the usual reasons I can imagine - the EU being mostly an economic and military block etc. - any more substantial reasons?
 
At least this guy won't be a judge.

Controversial EU choice steps down


ROME, Italy (Reuters) -- The EU's new justice and security chief, Italy's Rocco Buttiglione, said on Saturday he was ready to withdraw from the incoming European Commission to help defuse a unprecedented crisis for the executive.

"I am ready to stand aside to smooth the way for (incoming Commission President Jose Manuel) Barroso's commission, which I wish every success because Europe needs a strong commission," Buttiglione read from a statement.

The Italian, a close friend of Pope John Paul, ran into fierce opposition by saying homosexuality was a sin and that marriage was for women to have children. He was the first nominee ever to be rejected by a parliamentary committee.

Barroso, former Portuguese prime minister, withdrew his line-up just before a parliamentary investiture vote on Wednesday to avoid an unprecedented defeat because of widespread opposition to Italy's nominee for the justice and security portfolio.

Berlusconi had come under heavy pressure to find an alternative to Buttiglione and late on Friday indicated he was ready to sacrifice the Catholic philosopher-turned-politician.

Italy's sudden about-face came at the end of a long day of ceremonies in which Europe's leaders gathered in Rome to sign the first pan-European constitution, designed to improve governance in the newly enlarged, 25-nation bloc.

Buttiglione said that humanity periodically decided to purify itself by choosing "an innocent victim" to take on the woes of everyone else.

"This time I have been chosen for this task and I don't complain about it too much," he told a news conference.

He thanked Barroso and his team for having "understood my reasoning and defended me as much as possible."

He also thanked Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his goverment for doing the same.

Buttiglione's recall leaves Berlusconi scrambling to find a new nominee for the commission and facing the prospect of a major reshuffle of his fractious cabinet.
 
Back
Top Bottom