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CONSTITUTIONAL
CONDITIONS - Constitution
of Belgium
Binding
referendum requires implementation by constitutional amendment.
Consultative referendum can anyhow be held if ordered by ad-hoc-law. |
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PROCEDURE
The
ratification bill requires an absolute majority in both houses (Art.
53). In its response to the government’s inquiry of 22 December
1997, the Council of State stated on 29 January 1998 that the Amsterdam
Treaty should be considered as a ‘mixed’ one, affecting
not only the federal state, but also the regions and the communities
level (Senate dossier 1-903/1). According to Art. 75 the government
introduced the ratification bill into the Senate (upper house) on
6 March 1998 (Senate dossier 1- 903), where it passed with the necessary
majority (49 in favor, 13 against). The Chambre des Représentants
(lower house) approved on 7 July by 105 to 23 (Chamber dossier 49-1583/1).
After the bill has been passed by the national parliament, it had
to be approved at the regional level. Between 13 July 1998 and 5
February 1999, the parliamentary bodies of the regions (Wallonia,
Flanders, and Brussels) and the language communities (French, Flemish,
and German) voted in favor of ratification. |
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STATE
OF THE PROCEDURE
On 6 March 1998 the Senate (Senate dossier 1- 903),
ratified the Treaty with the necessary majority (49 in favor, 13
against)
The Chambre
des Représentants approved the Treaty on 7 July 1998 (105
in favor, 23 against)
Between 13 July 1998 and 5 February 1999, the parliamentary
bodies of the regions voted in favor of ratification. |
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RELEVANT
DOCUMENTS AND MATERIAL
Thurner, P.;
Stoiber, M. (2001), Comparing
Ratification Processes within EU Member States: The Identification
of Real Veto Players, Mannheim Centre for European Social Research.
Hug, S.; Koenig,
T. (2000), Divided
Government and the Ratification of the Amsterdam Treaty.
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