Ratification of the Constitutional Treaty proceeding

Press release 167/2006
31 May, 2006


In a proposal to be submitted on Friday to the Finnish Parliament, the Government recommends that Finland ratify the Constitutional Treaty.

The Constitutional Treaty – officially the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe – is an international treaty between Member States of the European Union that requires ratification by all the Member States in order to enter into force. The purpose of the Treaty is to replace the treaties currently forming the base of the European Union.

A European Union based on the new Treaty would be a successor of the present European Union both legally and politically. The Treaty merges the present European Community and the European Union to form a single uniform legal person. The central goals of the reform are to clarify and simplify the Union structures, to make the Union’s operations more efficient, and to bring the Union closer to citizens. The reform is also intended to modernise the system of EU organs so as to be able to respond better to the needs of an expanded Union.

A period for reflection concerning the Treaty

In a communiqué released in June 2005, after the majority of votes cast in the referenda held in France and the Netherlands were against ratification of the Treaty, the European Council stated that there would be a period for reflection and discussion. According to the communiqué, widespread discussion involving the participation of citizens, civil society, labour market organisations, the national parliaments and political parties would be held during the period for reflection. The referenda were not seen as casting doubt on the justification for continuing national ratification processes. The European Council agreed that the timetable for ratification in Member States would, if necessary, be adjusted on the basis of these processes and in accordance with the conditions prevailing in each Member State.

Prior to the proposal on ratification, the Finnish Parliament has already discussed the Treaty on the basis of the Government’s Report (VNS 6/2005 vp). The parliamentary discussion concurred with the Government’s overall assessment whereby the Constitutional Treaty comprises an entity that is balanced and acceptable from the Finnish standpoint.

The Treaty has already been ratified by Austria, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. In addition, ratification of the Treaty is nearly completed in Belgium.

The European Council will make an overall assessment of the discussions held in the Member States at its meeting on 15–16 June, and will make a decision concerning continuation of the Constitutional Treaty process within the Union.

Additional information: Sakari Vuorensola, Head of Unit, Unit for EU Law, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5722, and Counsellor Päivi Kaukoranta, Government Secretariat for EU Affairs, tel. +358 9 1602 2190