The Intergovernmental Conference as an Institutional Model of the Multilateral Diplomacy of the European Union (1950–2024)

Table Of Contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• List of important abbreviations
• Introductory remarks
• Chapter 1 The legal-institutional framework and the typology of the Intergovernmental Conferences
• 1. The legal basis for the Treaty revision procedures, the specific passerelle clauses and the flexibility clause
• 1.1. The revision procedures of the Treaties
• 1.2. The specific passerelle clauses
• 1.3. The flexibility clause
• 1.4. Other procedures for amending primary law
• 2. The typology, structure, decision-making process and actors of the Intergovernmental Conference
• 2.1. The typology of the Intergovernmental Conferences
• 2.2. The structure of the Intergovernmental Conference
• 2.3. The decision-making process at the Intergovernmental Conference
• 2.4. Participants in the Intergovernmental Conference
• Chapter 2 The first Intergovernmental Conferences in 1950–1985
• 1. The Intergovernmental Conferences in 1950–1953
• 2. The 1956–1957 Intergovernmental Conference
• 3. The ad hoc Intergovernmental Conference of 1965. The Merger Treaty
• 4. The ad hoc Intergovernmental Conferences of 1970 and 1975. The Budgetary Treaties
• 5. The 1985 Intergovernmental Conference
• 5.1. The preparatory phase
• 5.2. Proceedings of the IGC
• Chapter 3 The Intergovernmental Conferences in 1990–1991
• 1. The preparatory phase
• 2. Proceedings of the Intergovernmental Conference on Political Union
• 3. Proceedings of the Intergovernmental Conference on Economic and Monetary Union
• Chapter 4 The 1996–1997 Intergovernmental Conference
• 1. The preparatory phase. The Westendorp Report
• 2. Proceedings of the IGC
• 2.1. The first phase of the IGC
• 2.2. The second phase of the IGC
• Chapter 5 The 2000 Intergovernmental Conference
• 1. The preparatory phase. The Report of the Group of Wise Men
• 2. Proceedings of the IGC
• 2.1. The first phase of the IGC
• 2.2. The second phase of the IGC
• Chapter 6 The 2003–2004 Intergovernmental Conference
• 1. The preparatory phase. The Convention on the Future of Europe (2002–2003)
• 1.1. The composition and structure of the Convention
• 1.2. Proceedings of the Convention
• 1.2.1. The international legal status of the European Union
• 1.2.2. The axiology and democratic principles of the European Union
• 1.2.3. The division of competences between the European Union and the Member States
• 1.2.4. Legislative acts and procedures
• 1.2.5. The institutional system of the European Union
• 1.2.5.1. Proposals from the Governments of the Member States
• 1.2.5.2. Proposals from the Community institutions
• 1.2.5.3. The Praesidium’s reports
• 1.2.5.4. The European Council
• 1.2.5.5. The Council of Ministers
• 1.2.5.6. The Union Minister of Foreign Affairs
• 1.2.5.7. The European Commission
• 1.2.5.8. The European Parliament
• 1.2.5.9. The Court of Justice
• 1.2.5.10. The Court of Auditors
• 1.2.5.11. The European Central Bank
• 1.2.5.12. The Union’s advisory bodies: the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee
• 1.2.5.13. The Congress of the Peoples of Europe
• 1.2.6. The role of national parliaments in the legislative process in the European Union
• 1.2.7. Enhanced cooperation
• 1.2.8. The passerelle procedure
• 2. Proceedings of the IGC (2003–2004)
• 2.1. The integration objectives, axiology and democratic principles of the EU
• 2.2. The division of competences between the European Union and the Member States
• 2.3. The institutional system of the European Union
• 2.3.1. The Council of Ministers
• 2.3.1.1. The formations and Presidency of the Council of Ministers
• 2.3.1.2. The definition of qualified majority
• 2.3.1.3. The qualified majority voting procedure
• 2.3.2. The status of the Union Minister for Foreign Affairs
• 2.3.3. The European Commission
• 2.3.4. The European Parliament
• 2.3.5. The Court of Justice
• 2.4. The reform of the EU’s common security and defence policy
• 2.5. The two simplified treaty revision procedures. The specific passerelle clause in enhanced cooperation
• Chapter 7 The 2007 Intergovernmental Conference
• 1. The preparatory phase
• 1.1. The Berlin Declaration
• 1.2. Bilateral and multilateral consultations of the Sherpas
• 1.3. The IGC mandate
• 2. Proceedings of the IGC
• 2.1. The first meeting of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs
• 2.2. The Working Group of Legal Experts
• 2.2.1. The Preamble to the Reform Treaty
• 2.2.2. The Protocol on transitional provisions – the status of legislative acts in judicial cooperation in criminal matters and police cooperation
• 2.2.3. The Protocol on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice
• 2.2.4. The institutional framework of the European Union
• 2.2.5. The clarification of provisions on legislative procedures and acts
• 2.2.6. The definition of citizenship of the Union
• 2.3. From the Gymnich meeting of Foreign Ministers to the signing of the Treaty of Lisbon
• Chapter 8 The ad hoc Intergovernmental Conferences in 2011–2012
• 1. The Intergovernmental Conference on the establishment of the European Stability Mechanism
• 2. The Intergovernmental Conference on the signing of the Irish Protocol
• Chapter 9 Prospects for Treaty reform in the European Union
• 1. The origins of the debate on Treaty reform
• 2. The draft system changes tabled by the European Parliament and by the Franco-German Working Group. Comparative analysis
• 2.1. The proposals by the European Parliament and by the Franco-German Working Group regarding the same components of the EU system
• 2.1.1. Axiology of the European Union
• 2.1.2. The institutional system of the EU
• 2.1.2.1. The European Council
• 2.1.2.2. The Council of the European Union
• 2.1.2.3. The European Commission
• 2.1.2.4. The European Parliament
• 2.1.2.5. The Court of Justice of the European Union
• 2.1.2.6. The Court of Auditors
• 2.1.3. The annual budget and the multiannual financial framework of the EU
• 2.1.4. Enhanced cooperation
• 2.1.5. The Treaty revision procedures
• 2.2. Proposals for systemic changes submitted exclusively by the European Parliament
• 2.2.1. The EU’s integration objectives
• 2.2.2. The democratic principles
• 2.2.3. The division of competences between the Union and the Member States
• 2.2.4. The role of national parliaments in the legislative process in the EU
• 2.2.5. The procedure for the accession of new states to the Union
• 2.2.6. External actions and policies
• 2.2.7. Internal actions and policies of the EU
• 3. Evaluation of the proposals by the European Parliament and by the Franco-German Working Group
• Conclusions
• List of Tables, Charts and Diagrams
• Tables
• Charts
• Diagrams
• Bibliography
• I. Archival and printed sources
• 1. Archive of the Intergovernmental Conference of 1996–1997
• 2. Archive of the Intergovernmental Conference of 2000
• 3. Archive of the Convention on the Future of Europe (2002–2003)
• 4. Archive of the Intergovernmental Conference of 2003–2004
• 5. Archive of the Intergovernmental Conference of 2007
• 6. Documents of the European Union Institutions
• 7. Treaties, international agreements and declarations
• 8. Legal acts and judgements
• 9. Other documents
• II. Monographs, handbooks and encyclopaedias
• III. Articles in scientific journals and volumens
• IV. Internet articles
• Name Index

Janusz Józef Węc

The Intergovernmental Conference
as an Institutional Model of the
Multilateral Diplomacy of
the European Union (1950–2024)

How are the Founding and Revision
Treaties in the EU Created?

Berlin · Bruxelles · Chennai · Lausanne · New York · Oxford

Bibliographic Information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek

The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data is available online at http://dnb.d-nb.de.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Węc, Janusz Józef author

Title: The intergovernmental conference as an institutional model of the multilateral diplomacy of the European Union (1950–2024): how are the founding and revision treaties in the EU created? / Janusz Józef Węc.

Description: Berlin ; New York : Peter Lang, 2025. | Series: Studies in European integration, state and society, 2193-2352 ; Volume 19 | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: LCCN 2025021063 (print) | LCCN 2025021064 (ebook) | ISBN 9783631937556 hardback | ISBN 9783631937563 pdf | ISBN 9783631940419 epub

Subjects: LCSH: European Union--History | Intergovernmental cooperation--European Union countries--History | Congresses and conventions--European Union countries | Diplomacy | European Union countries--Foreign relations--Treaties

Classification: LCC JN30 .W44 2025 (print) | LCC JN30 (ebook)

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2025021063

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2025021064

This publication was financially supported by the Faculty of International and Political Studies of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków.

ISSN 2193-2352

ISBN 978-3-631-93755-6 (Print)

ISBN 978-3-631-93756-3 (E-PDF)

ISBN 978-3-631-94041-9 (E-PUB)

DOI 10.3726/b23036

© 2025 Peter Lang Group AG, Lausanne (Switzerland)

Published by Peter Lang GmbH, Berlin (Germany)

info@peterlang.com

All rights reserved.

All parts of this publication are protected by copyright. Any utilization outside the strict limits of the copyright law, without the permission of the publisher, is forbidden and liable to prosecution. This applies in particular to reproductions, translations, microfilming, and storage and processing in electronic retrieval systems.

This publication has been peer reviewed.

www.peterlang.com

I dedicate this book to Aleksandra and Paweł

Table of Contents

List of important abbreviations

Introductory remarks

CHAPTER 1

The legal-institutional framework and the typology of the Intergovernmental Conferences

1. The legal basis for the Treaty revision procedures, the specific passerelle clauses and the flexibility clause

1.1. The revision procedures of the Treaties

1.2. The specific passerelle clauses

1.3. The flexibility clause

1.4. Other procedures for amending primary law

2. The typology, structure, decision-making process and actors of the Intergovernmental Conference

2.1. The typology of the Intergovernmental Conferences

2.2. The structure of the Intergovernmental Conference

2.3. The decision-making process at the Intergovernmental Conference

2.4. Participants in the Intergovernmental Conference

CHAPTER 2

The first Intergovernmental Conferences in 1950–1985

1. The Intergovernmental Conferences in 1950–1953

2. The 1956–1957 Intergovernmental Conference

3. The ad hoc Intergovernmental Conference of 1965. The Merger Treaty

4. The ad hoc Intergovernmental Conferences of 1970 and 1975. The Budgetary Treaties

5. The 1985 Intergovernmental Conference

5.1. The preparatory phase

5.2. Proceedings of the IGC

CHAPTER 3

The Intergovernmental Conferences in 1990–1991

1. The preparatory phase

2. Proceedings of the Intergovernmental Conference on Political Union

3. Proceedings of the Intergovernmental Conference on Economic and Monetary Union

CHAPTER 4

The 1996–1997 Intergovernmental Conference

1. The preparatory phase. The Westendorp Report

2. Proceedings of the IGC

2.1. The first phase of the IGC

2.2. The second phase of the IGC

CHAPTER 5

The 2000 Intergovernmental Conference

1. The preparatory phase. The Report of the Group of Wise Men

2. Proceedings of the IGC

2.1. The first phase of the IGC

2.2. The second phase of the IGC

CHAPTER 6

The 2003–2004 Intergovernmental Conference

1. The preparatory phase. The Convention on the Future of Europe (2002–2003)

1.1. The composition and structure of the Convention

1.2. Proceedings of the Convention

1.2.1. The international legal status of the European Union

1.2.2. The axiology and democratic principles of the European Union

1.2.3. The division of competences between the European Union and the Member States

1.2.4. Legislative acts and procedures

1.2.5. The institutional system of the European Union

1.2.5.1. Proposals from the Governments of the Member States

1.2.5.2. Proposals from the Community institutions

1.2.5.3. The Praesidium’s reports

1.2.5.4. The European Council

1.2.5.5. The Council of Ministers

1.2.5.6. The Union Minister of Foreign Affairs

1.2.5.7. The European Commission

1.2.5.8. The European Parliament

1.2.5.9. The Court of Justice

1.2.5.10. The Court of Auditors

1.2.5.11. The European Central Bank

1.2.5.12. The Union’s advisory bodies: the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee

1.2.5.13. The Congress of the Peoples of Europe

1.2.6. The role of national parliaments in the legislative process in the European Union

1.2.7. Enhanced cooperation

1.2.8. The passerelle procedure

2. Proceedings of the IGC (2003–2004)

2.1. The integration objectives, axiology and democratic principles of the EU

2.2. The division of competences between the European Union and the Member States

2.3. The institutional system of the European Union

2.3.1. The Council of Ministers

2.3.1.1. The formations and Presidency of the Council of Ministers

2.3.1.2. The definition of qualified majority

2.3.1.3. The qualified majority voting procedure

2.3.2. The status of the Union Minister for Foreign Affairs

2.3.3. The European Commission

2.3.4. The European Parliament

2.3.5. The Court of Justice

2.4. The reform of the EU’s common security and defence policy

2.5. The two simplified treaty revision procedures. The specific passerelle clause in enhanced cooperation

CHAPTER 7

The 2007 Intergovernmental Conference

1. The preparatory phase

1.1. The Berlin Declaration

1.2. Bilateral and multilateral consultations of the Sherpas

1.3. The IGC mandate

2. Proceedings of the IGC

2.1. The first meeting of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs

2.2. The Working Group of Legal Experts

2.2.1. The Preamble to the Reform Treaty

2.2.2. The Protocol on transitional provisions – the status of legislative acts in judicial cooperation in criminal matters and police cooperation

2.2.3. The Protocol on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice

2.2.4. The institutional framework of the European Union

2.2.5. The clarification of provisions on legislative procedures and acts

2.2.6. The definition of citizenship of the Union

2.3. From the Gymnich meeting of Foreign Ministers to the signing of the Treaty of Lisbon

CHAPTER 8

The ad hoc Intergovernmental Conferences in 2011–2012

1. The Intergovernmental Conference on the establishment of the European Stability Mechanism

2. The Intergovernmental Conference on the signing of the Irish Protocol

CHAPTER 9

Prospects for Treaty reform in the European Union

1. The origins of the debate on Treaty reform

2. The draft system changes tabled by the European Parliament and by the Franco-German Working Group. Comparative analysis

2.1. The proposals by the European Parliament and by the Franco-German Working Group regarding the same components of the EU system

2.1.1. Axiology of the European Union

2.1.2. The institutional system of the EU

2.1.2.1. The European Council

2.1.2.2. The Council of the European Union

2.1.2.3. The European Commission

2.1.2.4. The European Parliament

2.1.2.5. The Court of Justice of the European Union

2.1.2.6. The Court of Auditors

2.1.3. The annual budget and the multiannual financial framework of the EU

2.1.4. Enhanced cooperation

2.1.5. The Treaty revision procedures

2.2. Proposals for systemic changes submitted exclusively by the European Parliament

2.2.1. The EU’s integration objectives

2.2.2. The democratic principles

2.2.3. The division of competences between the Union and the Member States

2.2.4. The role of national parliaments in the legislative process in the EU

2.2.5. The procedure for the accession of new states to the Union

2.2.6. External actions and policies

2.2.7. Internal actions and policies of the EU

3. Evaluation of the proposals by the European Parliament and by the Franco-German Working Group

Conclusions

List of Tables, Charts and Diagrams

Bibliography

I. Archival and printed sources

1. Archive of the Intergovernmental Conference of 1996–1997

2. Archive of the Intergovernmental Conference of 2000

3. Archive of the Convention on the Future of Europe (2002–2003)

4. Archive of the Intergovernmental Conference of 2003–2004

5. Archive of the Intergovernmental Conference of 2007

6. Documents of the European Union Institutions

7. Treaties, international agreements and declarations

8. Legal acts and judgements

9. Other documents

II. Monographs, handbooks and encyclopaedias

III. Articles in scientific journals and volumens

IV. Internet articles

Name Index