The Revision of the European Treaties: the Convention Moment. Six arguments for its Continuation, six Proposals for its reform

Gaëtane Ricard-Nihoul , Renaud Dehousse (1)

1 CEE - Centre d'études européennes et de politique comparée (Sciences Po, CNRS)

The new Lisbon Treaty provides for the Convention approach to become the “ordinary” procedure for any significant revision of the European treaties. But will EU Member States be willing to go down the Convention route again after their two previous experiences with the Convention on the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the one leading to the Draft Constitutional Treaty? In this Policy Paper, Notre Europe makes a stand in favour of the Convention approach on the grounds that it represents a fundamental stage towards the democratisation of the Treaty revision process as well as presenting numerous advantages by comparison with classical Intergovernmental Conferences. Taking into account the criticisms that were levelled at the Convention, this paper also opens avenues towards the improvement of its operation be it in terms of democracy or efficiency. A panel of experts brought together by Notre Europe sets forth recommendations designed to deepen the thinking behind the revisions of the founding EU texts. These are momentous for the Union as those texts underpin the European project it aims to nurture at the dawn of this 21st Century.

Domaines: Science politique

Gaëtane Ricard-Nihoul, Renaud Dehousse. The Revision of the European Treaties: the Convention Moment. Six arguments for its Continuation, six Proposals for its reform. 2007. ⟨hal-03459262⟩