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HOME CONTACT E-Learning Unit 1: European Convention and the IGC Introduction Prelude to the European Convention Previous Treaty Revisions Convention on a Charter of Fundamental Rights Challenges for the EU – deepening and widening The European Convention The appointment of the European Convention The Composition of the European Convention Functioning Internal decision-making Phases of the Convention The Youth Convention The Civil Society Forum Outcome and Conclusion of the Convention Follow-up of the Convention: Perspectives for the IGC Negotiations under Italian Presidency Failure of the Summit in Brussels 2003 Resumption of Negotiations under the Irish Presidency and concluding negotiations in Brussels Further Readings	I. Introduction The signing of the ‘Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe' by the heads of state and government of the 25 member states of the European Union (EU) (29 October 2004) marked a significant step in the process of European integration. Once the Constitutional Treaty will have been ratified by each member state the EU will be based on a different legal foundation. This new legal framework, having been prepared by the European Convention, is the outcome of a new method of treaty revision. The e-learning unit 1 ‘The European Convention and the IGC' aims at making students familiar with the work of the Convention on the Future of Europe, its antecedents, major constraints structures and outcomes, which served as a basis for the final Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) finished in June 2004. It is separated into three different parts: Chapter II explains previous ways of treaty revisions, their advantages and disadvantages as well as the challenges, which the EU faced before the setting up of the Convention. Additionally, the chapter on the Charter of Fundamental Rights serves to illustrate an older example of the 'Convention-Method'. Chapter III introduces the user to the central structures, actors, procedures and topics of the Convention, which had an impact on the actual work of the Convention during its lifetime. Chapter IV, building on previous results and assumptions, focuses on the follow-up process to the Convention as it examines the Intergovernmental Conference procedures, which followed the work of the Convention, under Italian and Irish EU-Presidency and was concluded with the agreement on an adapted version of the Convention's text in June 2004.

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E-Learning Unit 1: European Convention and the IGC

Introduction

Prelude to the European Convention

The European Convention

Follow-up of the Convention: Perspectives for the IGC

Further Readings

I. Introduction

The signing of the ‘Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe' by the heads of state and government of the 25 member states of the European Union (EU) (29 October 2004) marked a significant step in the process of European integration. Once the Constitutional Treaty will have been ratified by each member state the EU will be based on a different legal foundation. This new legal framework, having been prepared by the European Convention, is the outcome of a new method of treaty revision.

The e-learning unit 1 ‘The European Convention and the IGC' aims at making students familiar with the work of the Convention on the Future of Europe, its antecedents, major constraints structures and outcomes, which served as a basis for the final Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) finished in June 2004. It is separated into three different parts:

Chapter II explains previous ways of treaty revisions, their advantages and disadvantages as well as the challenges, which the EU faced before the setting up of the Convention. Additionally, the chapter on the Charter of Fundamental Rights serves to illustrate an older example of the 'Convention-Method'.

Chapter III introduces the user to the central structures, actors, procedures and topics of the Convention, which had an impact on the actual work of the Convention during its lifetime.

Chapter IV, building on previous results and assumptions, focuses on the follow-up process to the Convention as it examines the Intergovernmental Conference procedures, which followed the work of the Convention, under Italian and Irish EU-Presidency and was concluded with the agreement on an adapted version of the Convention's text in June 2004.