8. Title I of the existing TEU [= the Treay on European Union, alias the Maastricht Treaty], containing inter alia Articles on the Union’s values and objectives, on relations between the Union and the Member States, and on the suspension of rights of Member States, will be amended in line with the innovations agreed in the 2004 IGC (see Annex 1, Title I).

(The Presidency Conclusions of the European Council - 21/22 June 2007, p. 16)

This is quite interesting, I will come back to the Annex 1 in a future post.

9. The Article on fundamental rights will contain a cross reference to the Charter on fundamental rights , as agreed in the 2004 IGC, giving it legally binding value and setting out the scope of its application.

(The Presidency Conclusions of the European Council - 21/22 June 2007, p. 17)

The Charter on fundamental rights has been sent to all European citizens directly at home some years ago (at least this happened in Italy… I hope the same was for other EU Countries). I read it and I found it quite agreeable even if I think I would have to read it again if I wanted to remember all its details. Anyway that Charter is important because it will give a strong base to European citizenship. At present European citizenship is based upon some basic rights (such as the right of moving freely from one EU Country to an other), but the Charter will deeply extend these rights. Great Britain didn’t want the Charter to be in the new Treaty but many other countries want it. They reached the compromise to put it out of the Treaty but saying in the Treaty that it is legally binding.

It is interesting to notice that in the consolidated version of the TEU there is already a reference to a sort of Charter of rights, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms signed in Rome on 4 November 1950 (TEU, Title 1, Article 6)

10. In the Article on fundamental principles concerning competences it will be specified that the Union shall act only within the limits of competences conferred upon it by the Member States in the Treaties.

(The Presidency Conclusions of the European Council - 21/22 June 2007, p. 17)

I don’t know what eurosceptics think about this paragraph, but I think it’s ok. All Federal States stand upon the powers given them by their member States… this is subsidiarity baby, a founding principle of every Federation… so…