The Treaty Of The European Union, Maastricht Treaty, 7th February, 1992 Part 1

The Treaty of the European Union, Maastricht Treaty, 7th February, 1992.

by European Union.

HEADS TREATY ON EUROPEAN UNION HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF THE BELGIANS, HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF DENMARK, THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, THE PRESIDENT OF THE h.e.l.lENIC REPUBLIC, HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF SPAIN, THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, THE PRESIDENT OF IRELAND, THE PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC, HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUKE OF LUXEMBOURG, HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF THE NETHERLANDS, THE PRESIDENT OF THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC, HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND

RESOLVED to mark a new stage in the process of European integration undertaken with the establishment of the European Communities,

RECALLING the historic importance of the ending of the division of the European continent and the need to create firm bases for the construction of the future Europe,

CONFIRMING their attachment to the principles of liberty, democracy and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and of the rule of law,

DESIRING to deepen the solidarity between their peoples while respecting their history, their culture and their traditions,

DESIRING to enhance further the democratic and efficient functioning of the inst.i.tutions so as to enable them better to carry out, within a single inst.i.tutional framework, the tasks entrusted to them,

RESOLVED to achieve the strengthening and the convergence of their economies and to establish an economic and monetary union including, in accordance with the provisions of this Treaty, a single and stable currency,

DETERMINED to promote economic and social progress for their peoples, within the context of the accomplishment of the internal market and of reinforced cohesion and environmental protection, and to implement policies ensuring that advances in economic integration are accompanied by parallel progress in other fields,

RESOLVED to establish a citizenship common to the nationals of their countries,

RESOLVED to implement a common foreign and security policy including the eventual framing of a common defence policy, which might in time lead to a common defence, thereby reinforcing the European ident.i.ty and it independence in order to promote peace, security and progress in Europe and in the world,

REAFFIRMING their objective to facilitate the free movement of persons while ensuring the safety and security of their peoples, by including provisions on justice and home affairs in this Treaty,

RESOLVED to continue the process of creating an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe, in which decisions are taken as closely as possible to the citizen in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity,

IN VIEW of further steps to be taken in order to advance European integration,

HAVE DECIDED to establish a European Union and to this end have designated as their plenipotentiaries:

HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF THE BELGIANS: Mark EYSKENS, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Philippe MAYSTADT, Minister for Finance;

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF DENMARK: Uffe ELLEMNA-JENSEN, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Anders FOGH RASMUSSEN, Minister for Economic Affairs;

THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY: Hans-Dietrich GENSCHER, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs; Theodor WAIGEL, Federal Minister for Finance;

THE PRESIDENT OF THE h.e.l.lENIC REPUBLIC: Antonios SAMARAS, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Efthymios CHRISTODOULOU, Minister for Economic Affairs;

HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF SPAIN: Francisco FERNANDEZ ORDONEZ, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Carlos SOLCHAGA CATALAN, Minister for Economic Affairs and Finance;

THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC: Rolan DUMAS, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Peirre BEREGOVY, Minister for Economic and Financial Affairs and the Budget;

THE PRESIDENT OF IRELAND: Gerard COLLINS, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Berite AHERN, Minister for Finance;

THE PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC, Gianni DE MICHELIS, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Guido CARLI, Minister for the Treasury;

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUKE OF LUXEMBOURG: Jaques F. POOS, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Jean-Claude JUNCKER, Minister for FINANCE;

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF THE NETHERLANDS: Hans van den BROEK, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Willem KOK, Minister for Finance;

THE PRESIDENT OF THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC: Joao de DEUS PINHERO, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Jorge BRAG de MACEDO, Minister for Finance;

HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND: The Rt. Hon. Douglas HURD, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs; The Hon. Francis MAUDE, Financial Secretary to the Treasury; WHO, having exchanged their full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed as follows:

t.i.tLE1 COMMON PROVISIONS

ARTICLE A By this Treaty, the High Contracting Parties establish among themselves a European Union, hereinafter called "the Union".

This Treaty marks a new stage in the process of creating an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe, in which decisions are taken as closely as possible to the citizen.

The Union shall be founded on the European Communities, supplemented by the policies and forms of cooperation established by this Treaty. Its task shall be to organize, in a manner demonstrating consistency and solidarity, relations between the Member States and between their peoples.

ARTICLE B The Union shall set itself the following objectives: - to promote economic and social progress which is balanced and sustainable, in particular through the creation of an area without internal frontiers, through the strengthening of economic and social cohesion and through the establishment of economic and monetary union, ultimately including a single currency in accordance with the provisions of this Treaty; - to a.s.sert its ident.i.ty on the international scene, in particular through the implementation of a common foreign and security policy including the eventual framing of a common defence policy, which might in time lead to a common defence; - to strengthen the protection of the rights and interests of the nationals of its Member States through the introduction of a citizenship of the Union; - to develop close cooperation on justice and home affairs; - to maintain in full the "acquis communautaire" and build on it with a view to considering, through the procedure referred to in Article N(2), to what extent the policies and forms of cooperation introduced by this Treaty may need to be revised with the aim of ensuring the effectiveness of the mechanisms and the inst.i.tutions of the Community.

The objectives of the Union shall be achieved as provided in this Treaty and in accordance with the condition and the timetable set out therein while respecting the principle of subsidiarity as defined in Article 3b of the Treaty establishing the European Community.

ARTICLE C The Union shall be served by a single inst.i.tutional framework which shall ensure the consistency and the continuity of the activities carried out in order to attain its objectives while respecting and building upon the "acquis communautaire".

The Union shall in particular ensure the consistency of its external activities as a whole in the context of its external relations, security, economic and development policies. The Council and the Commission shall be responsible for ensuring such consistency. They shall ensure the implementation of these policies, each in accordance with its respective powers.

ARTICLE D The European Council shall provide the Union with the necessary impetus for its development and shall define the general political guidelines thereof.

The European Council shall bring together the Heads of State or of Government of the Member States and the President of the Commission. They shall be a.s.sisted by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Member States and by a Member of the Commission. The European Council shall meet at least twice a year, under the chairmanship of the Head of State or of Government of the Member State which holds the Presidency of the Council.

The European Council shall submit to the European Parliament a report after each of its meetings and a yearly written report on the progress achieved by the Union.

ARTICLE E The European Parliament, the Council, the Commission and the Court of Justice shall exercise their powers under the conditions and for the purposes provided for, on the one hand, by the provisions of the Treaties establishing the European Communities and of the subsequent Treaties and Acts modifying and supplementing them and, on the other hand, by the other provisions of this Treaty.

ARTICLE F 1. The Union shall respect the national ident.i.ties of its Member States, whose systems of government are founded on the principles of democracy.

2. The Union shall respect fundamental rights, as guaranteed by the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms signed in Rome on 4 November 1950 and as they result from the const.i.tutional traditions common to the Member States, as general principles of Community law.

3. The Union shall provide itself with the means necessary to attain its objectives and carry through its policies.

t.i.tLE2 PROVISIONS AMENDING THE TREATY ESTABLISHING THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY WITH A VIEW TO ESTABLISHING THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

ARTICLE G The Treaty establishing the European Economic Community shall be amended in accordance with the provisions of this Article, in order to establish a European Community.

A. Throughout the Treaty: 1) The term "European Economic Community" shall be replaced by the term "European Community".

B. In Part One "Principles": 2) Article 2 shall be replaced by the following: "ARTICLE 2 The Community shall have as its task, by establishing a common market and an economic and monetary union and by implementing the common policies or activities referred to in Articles 3 and 3a, to promote throughout the Community a harmonious and balanced development of economic activities, sustainable and non-inflationary growth respecting the environment, a high degree of convergence of economic performance, a high level of employment and of social protection, the raising of the standard of living and quality of life, and economic and social cohesion and solidarity among Member States.'

3) Article 3 shall be replaced by the following: "ARTICLE 3 For the purposes set out in Article 2, the activities of the Community shall include, as provided in this Treaty and in accordance with the timetable set out therein: (a) the elimination, as between Member States, of customs duties and quantiative restrictions on the import and export of goods, and of all other measures having equivalent effect; (b) a common commercial policy; (c) an internal market characterized by the abolition, as between Member States of obstacles to the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital; (d) measures concerning the entry and movement of persons in the internal market as provided for in Article l00c; (e) a common policy in the sphere of agriculture and fisheries; (f) a common policy in the sphere of transport; (g) a system ensuring that compet.i.tion in the internal market is not distorted; (h) the approximation of the laws of Member States to the extent required for the functioning of the common market; (i) a policy in the social sphere comprising a European Social Fund; (j) the strengthening of economic and social cohesion; (k) a policy in the sphere of the environment; (l) the strengthening of the compet.i.tiveness of Community industry; (m) the pomotion of research and technological development; (n) encouragement for the establishment and development of trans- European networks; (o) a contribution to the attainment of a high level of health protection; (p) a contribution to education and training of quality and to the flowering of the cultures of the Member States; (q) a policy in the sphere of development co-operation; (r) the a.s.sociation of the overseas countries and territories in order to increase trade and promote jointly economic and social development; (s) a contribution to the strengthening of consumer protection; (t) measures in the spheres of energy, civil protection and tourism."

4) The following Article shall be inserted: "ARTICLE 3a 1. For the purposes set out in Article 2, the activities of the Member States and the Community shall include, as provided in this Treaty and in accordance with the timetable set out therein, the adoption of an economic policy which is based on the close co-ordination of Member States' economic policies, on the internal market and on the definition of common objectives, and conducted in accordance with the principle of an open market economy with free compet.i.tion.

2. Concurrently with the foregoing, and as provided in this Treaty and in accordance with the timetable and the procedures set out therein, these activities shall include the irrevocable fixing of exchange rates leading to the introduction of a single currency, the ECU, and the definition and conduct of a single monetary policy and exchange rate policy the primary objective of both of which shall be to maintain price stability and, without prejudice to this objective, to support the general economic policies in the Community, in accordance with the principle of an open market economy with free compet.i.tion.

3. These activities of the Member States and the Community shall entail compliance with the following guiding principles: stable prices, sound public finances and monetary conditions and a sustainable balance of payments."

5) The following Article shall be inserted: "ARTICLE 3b The Community shall act within the limit of the powers conferred upon it by this Treaty and of the objectives a.s.signed to it therein.

In areas which do not fall within its exclusive competence, the Community shall take action, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, only if and in so far as the objectives of the proposed action cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States and can therefore, by reason of the scale or effects of the proposed action, be better achieved by the Community.

Any action by the Community shall not go beyond what is necessary to achieve the objectives of this Treaty."

6) Article 4 shall be replaced by the following: "ARTICLE 4 1. The tasks entrusted to the Community shall be carried out by the following inst.i.tutions: - a EUROPEAN Parliament, - a COUNCIL, - a COMMISSION, - a COURT OF JUSTICE, - a COURT OF AUDITORS.

Each inst.i.tution shall act within the limits of the powers conferred upon it by this Treaty.

2. The Council and the Commission shall be a.s.sisted by an Economic and Social Committee and a Committee of the Regions acting in an advisory capacity."

7) The following Articles shall be inserted: "ARTICLE 4a A European System of Central Banks (hereinafter referred to as "ESCB") and a European Central Bank (hereinafter referred to as "ECB") shall be established in accordance with the procedures laid down in this Treaty; they shall act within the limits of the powers conferred upon them by this Treaty and by the Statute of the ESCB and of the ECB (hereinafter referred to as "Statute of the ESCB") annexed thereto.

ARTICLE 4b A European Investment Bank is hereby established, which shall act within the limit of the powers conferred upon it by this Treaty and the Statute annexed thereto."

8) Article 6 shall be deleted and Article 7 shall become Article 6. Its second paragraph shall be replaced by the following: "The Council, acting in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 189c, may adopt rules designed to prohibit such discrimination."

9) Articles 8, 8a, 8b and 8c shall become respectively Article 7, 7a, 7b and 7c.