European treaty. The work of the experts ends, a new text imminent
(B2) The last meeting of legal experts in charge of revising the European Treaty should be held this Friday in Brussels. The text of the two modified European treaties should then be quickly available on the Council's website.
Everything went well !
It closes an "express" process which has not given rise to any major difficulties, from a technical or even political point of view, contrary to an impression given by certain untimely declarations. On the contrary, some meetings may have been cancelled, both during the first reading of the text, at the end of August at the beginning of September, and during the second reading which ends this week.
Only difficulty: Schengen
The only real point of disagreement was on the (possible) participation of the United Kingdom and Ireland in certain criminal cooperation policies (Europol, Schengen files, etc.) in which they already participate, but on which they wanted to have a "opt-in" (right to decide on participation in the measure on a case-by-case basis).
Poles and JC Trichet sent back to their studies!
The Poles "have asked few questions", except on political points, knowing full well that it was not at this level that these questions were settled. Their demand to have the Ionnina compromise written into the text of the treaty itself was rejected by all participants. Similarly, the request of Jean-Claude Trichet, the President of the European Central Bank, to see the ECB registered in the institutions was rejected without firing a shot. This request was also not shared by his counterpart at the Court of Auditors, located in the same situation. On the other hand, several dozen modifications, of a literary or technical nature, have been made - plurals added or removed, references or cross-references specified.
The Charter exists, will be proclaimed, but does not appear in the text
On the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the consensus was not to include this text in a declaration annexed to the Treaty (as provided for in the Portuguese draft). The Charter will simply be solemnly proclaimed again - with the modifications inserted in 2004 - by the presidents of the three institutions, then published in the Official Journal. Which comes in full respect of the mandate. The partial opt-outs of the United Kingdom and Poland will be registered, in one (or two) protocols. But by the Irish, the country of Clover, having given up this possibility, in a definitive way.
Other information... during the day
(NGV)
