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The
Maastricht Treaty, Article N in the Final Provisions, laid
down that any Member State, or the European Commission, might submit
proposals for the amendment of the Treaties to the Council. The
latter, after consulting the European Parliament, and, where appropriate,
the Commission, could deliver an opinion in favour of calling an
Intergovernmental Conference (IGC), to be convened by the Presidency.
Amendments to the EU Treaty would be submitted for ratification
by all Member States. A ‘review clause’ in Article N
provided for the calling of such a conference in 1996. |
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The
Corfu European Council (24/25 June 1994) requested each of the EU
Institutions to produce a report on the functioning of the Treaty
on European Union (TEU) to be used by a Reflection Group which would
begin in June 1995 to prepare the 1996 Intergovernmental Conference
(IGC).
The following
documents include reports by the various EU institutions, progress
reports of the reflection Group and other preparatory documents
towards the 1996 IGC.
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Maastricht Treaty
Provision
Title VII,
Article N - 7/2/1992. Calls for a revision of the treaty in 1996.
Brussels
European Council
Presidency
Conclusions - 10-11 December 1993, Annex III - The Place of the Applicant
Countries in the Institutions and Bodies
Corfu European
Council
Presidency Conclusions
- 24-25 June 1994, Part IV - Preparation of the 1996 Intergovernmental
Conference
Cannes European
Council
Presidency
Conclusions -
26-27 June 1995, Part IV - Preparation for the 1996 Intergovernmental
Conference
Madrid European
Council
Presidency
Conclusions - 15-16 December 1995, Part A Introduction, IV Laying
the Foundations of the Europe of the Future, the Political Agenda for
Europe, Annex 15 - The Intergovernmental Conference
The full
text of all conclusions is also available.
Preliminary Positions
of EU Institutions
Council: Treaty on European Union - 3/1995 (french)
Commission:, Report on the operation of the Treaty on European Union,
10/5/1995 SEC (95)731. (Word Document adapted from Europa Site Wordperfect
File)
Parliament:
Resolution on the functioning of the Treaty on European Union with a view
to the 1996 Intergovernmental Conference - Implementation and development
of the Union, Official Journal C 151, 19/06/1995.
Committee
of the Regions: Opinion of the committee of the Regions on the revision
of th Treaty on European Union and of the Treaty establishing the European
Community (Rapporteur: Mr Pujol i Soley), Official Journal C 100, 02/04/1996.
Court of
Justice: Report on certain aspects of the application of the treaty
on European Union, May 1995. (Spanish
version)
Economic
and Social Committee: Opinion on the 1996 Intergovernmental Conference
- the Role of the Economic and Social Committee, 23/11/1995.
Court of Auditors: TEU/IGC - 5/1995. (Spanish
version)
Committee of the Regions: TEU/IGC - 20/4/1995. (Spanish
version)
Positions of Member States
| Austria |
- Guidelines
of the Government on the subjects likely to be dealt with at the
1996 IGC (June 1995)
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| Belgium |
- Government
policy paper addressed to the Belgian Parliament on the 1996 IGC
- Memorandum
on the IGC from the Governments of Belgium, Luxembourg and the
Netherlands, 7 March 1996.
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| Denmark, |
- Agenda for
Europe: the 1996 Conference. Report of the Danish Foreign Ministry,
(June 1995).
- Bases for
negotiations: an open Europe. The 1996 IGC. Memorandum of the
Danish Government (11/12/1995).
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| Finland |
- Memorandum
of the Foreign Ministry of 18 September 1995 on the views of the
Finnish Government concerning the 1996 IGC
- Finland's
starting-points and objectives for the 1996 IGC - report of the
Finnish Government, 27 February 1996
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| France |
- Letter of
6 December 1995 from the President of the French Republic,Jacques
Chirac, and the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany,
Helmut Kohl
- Memorandum
on France's guidelines for the 1996 IGC, published in the daily
newspaper 'Le Figaro', 20 February 1996
- Common foreign
and security policy: guidelines adopted by the Foreign Ministers
of France and Germany at the Freiburg seminar of 27 February 1996
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| Germany |
- Joint declaration
of 15 July 1995 by the German and Italian Foreign Ministers regarding
the 1996 IGC
- Letter of
6 December 1995 from the President of the French Republic, Jacques
Chirac, and the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany,
Helmut Kohl
- Common foreign
and security policy: guidelines adopted by the Foreign Ministers
of France and Germany at the Freiburg seminar of 27 February 1996
- Document:
'Germany's objectives for the Intergovernmental Conference', 26
March 1996
Manifesto of the CDU/CSU Group in the Bundestag of 1 September
1994.
- Discussion
paper on strengthening the European Union's ability to act in
the field of the CFSP of 13 June 1995.
- Discussion
document on 'more rule of law at European level' of 13 June 1995
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| Greece |
- Document
of January 1995: 'Towards a citizens' Europe - democracy and development':
memorandum for the 1996 IGC
- Conclusions
of the interministerial committee of the Greek Government of 7
June 1995
- Memorandum
of the Greek Government of 24 January 1996 on the IGC: Greece's
positions and comments
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| Ireland |
- White Paper
on Foreign Policy: 'External challenges and opportunities', 26
March 1996
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| Italy |
- Government
statement of 23 February 1995 on foreign policy guidelines
- Government
statement of 23 May 1995 on the Intergovernmental Conference to
review the Maastricht Treaty
- Joint declaration
of 15 July 1995 by the German and Italian Foreign Ministers regarding
the 1996 IGC
- Position
on the IGC for the revision of the Treaties, 18 March 1996
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| Luxembourg |
- Government
memorandum of 30 June 1995 on the 1996 IGC
- Memorandum
on the IGC from the Governments of Belgium, Luxembourg and the
Netherlands, 7 March 1996
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| Netherlands |
- Note of
14 November 1994 on the enlargement of the European Union: the
opportunities and obstacles
- Memorandum
of 30 March 1995 on European foreign policy, security and defence
- moving towards more decisive external action by the European
Union
- European
Cooperation in the fields of Justice and Home Affairs. Third Memorandum
for the 1996 IGC (23 May 1995)
- Fourth memorandum
by the Dutch Government (12 July 1995) on the institutional reform
of the European Union
- Memorandum
on the IGC from the Governments of Belgium, Luxembourg and the
Netherlands, 7 March 1996
- Communication
of March 1996: 'From Madrid to Turin: the Netherlands' priorities
for the 1996 IGC'
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| Portugal |
- Portugal
and the IGC for the revision of the Treaty on European Union -
Foreign Ministry document, March 1996
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| Spain |
- Ministerio
de Asuntos Exteriores, Secretaría de Estado para las Comunidades
Europeas, La
Conferencia Intergubernamental de 1996. Bases para una reflexión,
Madrid, 1995. (PDF) (Spanish)
- Document
of 2 March 1995: 'The 1996 Intergovernmental Conference: starting
points for a discussion'
- Discussion
paper of 4 July 1995 on the WEU: contribution to the 1996 IGC
- Document:
'Elements for a Spanish position at the 1996 Intergovernmental
Conference', 28 March 1996
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| Sweden |
- Note of
July 1995 on the fundamental interests of Sweden with a view to
the 1996 IGC
- Communication
of the Swedish Government of 30 November 1995 on the 1996 IGC
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| United
Kingdom |
- Memorandum
of 2 March 1995 on the treatment of European defence issues at
the 1996 IGC
- UK White
Paper of 12 March 1996 on the IGC: 'An association of nations'
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Parliament:
White Paper on IGC, vol I, annex
Parliament: White Paper on IGC, vol II - 19/3/1996.
Reflection Group
Reports
List of the members
of the reflection group chaired by Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza, Spanish
Secretary of State for European Affairs.
Reflection Group
on IGC: Progress Report - 1/9/1995 SN 509/1/95. (Adapted from Europa
Site Wordperfect File)
Reflection
Group on IGC: Final Report - 5/12/1995 (Westendorp Report)
Informe
del Grupo de Reflexión y otras referencias documentales, Secretaría
General del Consejo de la Union Europea, diciembre de 1995
Commission: Reaction to Reflection Group Report - 6/12/1995
Final Positions
by EU Institutions
Commission:
IGC - 28/2/1996 "Reinforcing political union and preparing for
enlargement"
Parliament:
IGC 13/3/1996. Opinion on the IGC, evaluation of the work of the Reflection
Group and definition of the political priorities of the European Parliament
towards the IGC.
Other Documents
Parliament, Council, Commission: Solemn
Declaration - 2/6/1995. Marking 40 years from the Messina Conference
and the start of IGC preparations.
Commission Report under Article 189b(8) of the Treaty - 03/07/1996. Scope
of the Codecision Procedure
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