§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals there are from EU member states and bodies for further treaties on(a) the codification of the existing powers of the EU, excluding any proposals agreed at the Nice Summit and (b) the definition of the relevant powers and relationship between institutions of the European Union and (i) office holders, (ii) Governments of member states and (iii) democratic institutions. [142386]
§ Mr. VazThe Nice European Council agreed that the next Intergovernmental Conference would take place in 2004.
The issues to be addressed include a more precise delimitation of competencies between the European Union and the member states; the status of the Charter of Fundamental Rights; a simplification of the treaties with a view to making them clearer and better understood without changing their meaning; and the role of national Parliaments in the European architecture.