
117
Accordin
to the Laeken
Declaration, which cre-
ated it, the aim of this
Convention is to exam-
ine four key questions on
the future of the Union:
the division of
owers,
the sim
lification of the
treaties, the role of the
national
arliaments an
the status of the Charte
of Fundamental Rights.
The inaugural meeting of
the Convention was hel
on 28 Februar
2002,
and, accordin
to the
Laeken Declaration, its
work will finish in
March 2003.
Three phases are envis-
aged: a listening phase, a
deliberatin
hase and a
ro
osin
hase. At the
end of the last
hase, a
sin
le constitutional tex
will be drafted. It ma
include various o
tions,
stating the support which
each has received, o
recommendations if a
consensus has been
reached. This documen
will serve as the startin
point for the IGC nego-
tiations conducted by the
Heads of State and Gov-
ernment, who are ulti-
matel
res
onsible fo
any decision on amend-
ments to the treaties. The
plan is for this constitu-
tional draft to be pre-
sented at the latest in
June 2003 at the Thessa-
loniki European Council.
The Convention is an in-
novation in as far as pre-
vious IGCs have neve
been preceded by a phase
of debate o
en to all
stakeholders. In addition
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