EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM:
WHY A REVISION OF THE TREATIES?
The European Union belongs to its citizens. The Treaties establishing the Union should address their most direct concerns.
The Maastricht Treaty provided for the convening in 1996 of an Intergovernmental Conference, which is the formal mechanism for revising the Treaties on which the Union is based.
The scope of the Conferences work has been set out by successive European Councils. The aim is to provide the Union with the means to respond adequately to the challenges which confront it now and in the years ahead. A thorough analysis of these challenges was undertaken in preparation for the Conference by a Reflection Group which submitted a suggested annotated agenda for the Conference to the European Council in Madrid in 1995.
The Conference formally began its work on the occasion of the European Council meeting in Turin on 29 March 1996. The Italian Presidency addressed the task of examining the issues and exploring delegations positions and priorities. It reported on the outcome of its work to the Florence European Council in June.
At Florence, the European Council indicated that it expected at its meeting in Dublin in December to mark decisive progress towards completing the Intergovernmental Conference by the middle of 1997. To that end it requested the Presidency to prepare for that meeting a general outline for a draft revision of the Treaties.
The Irish Presidency has organized the work of the Conference
with a view to fulfilling that mandate. The Conference has met at Foreign Minister level on a monthly basis. The work of the Foreign Ministers has been prepared by a Group consisting of their Representatives which has met on an almost weekly basis.
The Special Meeting of the European Council in Dublin on 5 October provided an important impetus for the work of the Conference. The Heads of State or Government confirmed on that occasion that the Conference should conclude as agreed in June 1997. They also reaffirmed that the Conference should maintain an adequate level of ambition to ensure that the Union is equipped to address more effectively the concerns of its citizens, that it can play a coherent role in international relations commensurate with its potential and responsibilities and that it can carry the weight which the restructuring of the wider continent is likely to place on it in the years ahead. An adaptation of the Unions institutions and the way they function must play a central role in that regard. [... ]
EXHIBIT 7
AG R E EM EN T
in the form of an exchange of notes
EMBASSY OF (name of country)
IN (city)
No.______ (city), (date)
The Embassy of... presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of... and has the honour to inform it of the following:
Pursuant to the relevant provisions of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the (British, etc.) authorities are prepared to grant on a reciprocal basis, as of 17 October 19_, one-year multiple entry and exit visas to journalists permanently accredited to the Government of... and members of their families.
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The Embassy would regard a positive response from the Ministry as constituting an agreement between the two Parties in this matter.
The Embassy of... takes this oppotunity to renew to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of... the assurances of its highest consideration.
(signed)
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN
AFFAIRS
OF (name of country)
(city)
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN
AFFAIRS
OF (name of country)
No.____ (city) (date)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of... presents its compliments to the Embassy of... in... and, acknowledging receipt of the Embassys note No.___ of 16 October 19___ on the granting on a reciprocal basis of multiple entry and exit visas to... journalists, has the honour to inform it of the following:
Taking into account the provisions of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Government of... intends as of 17 October 19___ to grant one- year multiple entry and exit visas to the journalists of... permanently accredited to the Government of... and members of their families.
The Ministry will regard the above-mentioned note from the Embassy and the present note as constituting an understanding between the two Parties in this matter.
The Ministry takes this oppotunity to renew to the Embassy the assurances of its highest consideration.
(signed)
EMBASSY OF (name of country)
(city)
EXHIBIT 8
LONG-TERM PROGRAMME
LONG-TERM PROGRAMME
