RWE
Radio Web Europe

On 29 October 2004, the Heads of State or Government of the 25 Member States and the 3 candidate countries signed the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. This Treaty can only enter into force when it has been adopted by each of the signatory countries in accordance with its own constitutional procedures (the "parliamentary" method or the "referendum" method). In 2005 the people of France and the Netherlands rejected the text of the Constitution, throwing the EU into a crisis and highlighting the need of a period of reflection, clarification and discussion.

Why a Constitution for Europe?

The European Constitution is an important step in the construction of Europe, in particular it is designed to meet the challenges of an enlarged Europe. It brings together the achievements of the last fifty years. It makes the European Union clearer and more transparent for everyone by putting forward a single text to replace all the existing Treaties.

The Constitution defines the values, objectives, powers, decision-making procedures, competences and institutions of the EU. It also describes citizenship, democratic life and finances of the Union and it contains the "Charter of Fundamental Rights", that sets a real catalogue of rights that all citizens of the Union should enjoy: dignity, freedom, equality, solidarity, citizenship and justice. The EU institutions and member states must respect the rights written into the Charter, and the Court of Justice will ensure that they do so.