Decision-making in the Convention will be based on consensus, which is subtly different from unanimity. It means that a very small minority cannot block the emergence of a consensus position. Nevertheless the Laeken Declaration gives the Convention the opportunity to propose different options if it proves too difficult to find agreement on a single text. There is the danger that with too many options, the national governments may attempt to choose ‘ŕ la carte’ at the subsequent IGC and be able to protect their own narrow self-interests. This could result in yet another failure to produce an adequate reform of the Union.

The result

The decisive step to establish the Convention, with a majority of national and European parliamentarians, offers real hope that a successful reform of the Union might finally be achieved. However, the results still have to be adopted by another IGC after the end of the Convention, where the Heads of State and Government will have to take their decision on the basis of the traditional unanimity. At this IGC, the political leaders will decide about “the Future of Europe” not only on the basis of the results of the Convention, but also on based on the outcomes of “national debates on the future of the Union”.

The timetable

The Convention will be officially opened on 28 February 2001 in Brussels. Although earlier drafts of the Laeken Declaration included a deadline of 30 June 2003 for concluding its work, this deadline was not included in the final Declaration. There are representatives of only three Presidencies, implying that the Convention is still expected to conclude its work by the summer of 2003. The IGC would then be held either during the Italian Presidency of the second half of 2003, or during the first half of 2004. The intention is to complete the process before the European Parliamentary elections of June 2004.