EU Leaders Debate Nice TreatyEuropean Union (EU) leaders continued their debate Saturday, December 9, at a Nice summit on institutional reform options.The Nice Treaty, when agreed upon, will make a series of changes in the Amsterdam Treaty signed by EU leaders in 1997, which shows that the EU has progressed in its integration process since the 1950s. If EU leaders make enough concessions at the Nice Summit, which will be the last meeting this year of the EU's inter-governmental conference on institutional reform, the 15-nation bloc may experience some revitalization. Relatively efficient institutions and a decision-making mechanism could pave the way to accommodate up to 13 new members from Central and Eastern Europe in the next decade. So far, there has been little sign of progress on major issues: the re-weighting of votes in the Council of Ministers -- the EU's decision-making body representing all member states; the future structure of the European Commission, the EU's acting branch; and the extension of qualified majority voting to areas of policy covered by unanimity. All of these are vital for EU's eastward expansion and further integration. However, the leaders seems to have narrowed their gaps over final agreement on rules for launching "enhanced cooperation," EU jargon implying that integrated policies can be implemented by some member states, but not all, which has raised questions about a "two-speed" European Union. Arrangements of this kind already exist for the single currency, and defense is another example of where cooperation need not involve all member states. The crucial Nice Treaty is expected to be completed Saturday or Sunday, depending on to what extent EU leaders can make compromises over the weekend, observers here believed. But the summit will be delayed, according to official sources. |
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