MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Location: file:///C:/5C634B01/ARTICLE15a.htm Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" [ARTICLE 15]

COMMON FOREIGN AND SECURITY POLICY:

EU COMMISSSION REPORTS TO EU FOREIGN MINISTER<= /p>

TO MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS THE COUNCIL

 [ARTICLE 15a]

 

 

AMENDMENT TO: Treaty of Lisbon amending the Treaty on European Union and t= he Treaty establishing the European Community (Lisbon, 13 December 2007)<= /span>

&= nbsp;

Policy Area:

Treaty= on European Union, Title V, provisions on Common Foreign and Security Policy, Chapter 2, Specific provisions on the common foreign and security policy, Article 15a

 

Amendment:

Clause  2,  page  1,  line  12,  leave out ‘any’ and insert—

 

‘(i) Article 1, paragr= aph 33, inserted Article 15a TEU relating to questions on the Common Foreign and Security Policy; and

 

(ii) any other’.=

 

Amendment:

Clause 2<= /span>,  page  1,  line  12,  leave out ‘any’ and insert—

 

‘(i) Article 1, paragr= aph 25, headings relating to the Common Foreign and Security Policy; and=

 

(ii) any other’.=

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Lisb= on Treaty Article:

“33) An Article 15a shall be inserted, with= the text of Article 22, with the following amendments:

(a) in paragraph 1, the words "Any Member St= ate or the Commission may refer to the Council any question relating to the com= mon foreign and security policy" shall be replaced by "Any Member Sta= te, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Polic= y, or the High Representative with the Commission's support, may refer any question relating to the common foreign and security policy to the Council&= quot; and the words "submit proposals to the Council" shall be replaced= by "submit to it initiatives or proposals as appropriate";

(b) in paragraph 2, the words "the Presidenc= y, of its own motion," shall be replaced by "the High Representative= , of his own motion" and the words ", or at the request of the Commiss= ion or a Member State," shall be replaced by ", or at the request of a = Member State,".

 

Consolidated Treaty Article(s):

= 220;Article 22

1. = Any Member State or the Commission may refer to the Council any question relati= ng to the common foreign and security policy and may submit proposals to the Council.

2. = In cases requiring a rapid decision, the Presidency, of its own motion, or at = the request of the Commission or a Member State, shall conven= e an extraordinary Council meeting within 48 hours or, in an emergency, within a shorter period.”

 

Explanation:

Given that the existing Article 22 TEU has been moved, this new Article is an amendment which includes reference to the new powers of the High Representative. It identifies the right of initiative in CFSP, whereby any Member<= /st1:PlaceName> State, the High Representative or the High Representative with the support of the Commission can refer questions or submit proposals on CFSP to the Council. It seems th= at the Commission can no longer submit questions or proposals to the Council relating to the CFSP by itself but it must go through the High Representati= ve.

 

Moreover, it is no longer the Presidency’s = task but that of the High Representative to “convene an extraordinary Coun= cil meeting ….” The Commission can no longer request such a meeting= . However, since the High Representative wears two hats and is now one of the Vice Pre= sident’s of the Commission, the distinction between the powers and initiatives of the Council and that of the Commission has become obsolete. <= /p>