Democrat - July 2007 (Number 103)
New Treaty is just the same
The list below gives the identical items in the originalEU Constitution and those in the new EU Constitutional Treaty.
Significant differences are given in square brackets.
Consolidation of EU and loss of sovereingty for Member States
- EU given single legal personality
- Self amending treaty that will then require no further treaties or referendums
- EU President
- EU Foreign Minister [but called High Representative]
- Majority Voting in Foreign Policy
- EU Diplomatic Service
- Sweeping powers of European Court of Justice (ECJ) over home affairs
- An EU Public Prosecutor
- European Parliament elects Commission President
- Cut in Britain's power to block EU legislation by 30% [but now in 2014]
- Meaningless protocol on national parliaments
- Division of competences giving EU more power
- Removal of safeguards on 'enhanced cooperation'
- European Parliament given veto in 40 new areas
- Charter of Fundamental Rights made legally binding with face-saving fudge to stop it changing UK law
Public services, social security and the economy
- New powers over public health
- New powers over public services
- Increased powers for EU over social policy and coordination of social security
- New powers over economic coordination
- End of veto on employment law for self-employed workers
- New powers over trade policy and investment
- End of veto over Central Bank's powers of financial regulation
- Formalisation of eurogroup (Finance Ministers from single currency member states) and increase in its powers
Home affairs
- New powers to harmonise civil and criminal laws and legal procedures
- Powers to define criminal offences and set minimum sentences
- Increase in power for Europol(ice)
- Enabling Eurojust to initiate investigations of EU citizens
- New powers for ECJ over asylum and immigration
- End of veto on legal migration
- Legal basis for common asylum and immigration system
Foreign policy and defence changes
- Commitment to "progressive framing of a common defence policy"
- "Structured cooperation" group in defence
- New mutual defence commitment
Member States veto abolished in following areas:
- Transport
- Energy
- Space policy
- Science policy
- Sport
- Yearly budget
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