The previous post mentioned a few UK references to Article 125 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). We now turn to legislative materials from Sweden and Finland as well as some commentaries in book form, to see if the basically unchanged ‘no-bailout’ clause has elicited comments. If not, students of the matter would be advised to turn to materials on the Treaty of Maastricht and to specialist literature.
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Lissabonfördraget
The consultation paper ’Lissabonfördraget’ was the first official Swedish description of the Lisbon Treaty amendments, and it is available at:
http://www.regeringen.se/content/1/c6/09/49/81/107aa077.pdf
It was followed by the Swedish government’s draft ratification bill ‘Lagrådsremiss – Lissabonfördraget’, published 29 May 2008:
http://www.regeringen.se/sb/d/5676/a/106277
The draft bill was given a green light by the Council on Legislation (Lagrådet):
http://www.lagradet.se/yttranden/Lissabonfordraget.pdf
The latest official government view, and now my standard reference for Sweden, is the ratification bill, with the Swedish parliament (Riksdagen) expected to decide on approval in late autumn, probably November (Regeringens proposition 2007/08:168 Lissabonfördraget; 3 July 2008):
http://www.regeringen.se/content/1/c6/10/84/02/8c96cf3e.pdf
Economic and monetary policy (23.2 Ekonomisk och monetary politik) is discussed on pages 180 to 185. The Swedish government explains procedural questions, including Article 102 TFEU (ToL). The rare cooperation procedure is abolished and replaced partly by the ordinary legislative procedure (multilateral surveillance) and partly by consulting the European Parliament (prohibitions on overdraft facilities and privileged access, and the ‘no bail-out’ clause) (on page 184):
Ӏndring av beslutsprocedurerna
Proceduren för samarbetsförfarandet finns i artikel 252 i EG-fördraget. Amsterdamfördraget minskade avsevärt tillämpningsområdet för samarbetsförfarandet, vilket för närvarande endast tillämpas på den ekonomiska och monetära politiken (artiklarna 99.5, 102.2, 103.2 och 106.2 i EG-fördraget). Genom Lissabonfördraget upphävs det s.k. samarbetsförfarandet i nuvarande artikel 252 i EG-fördraget (jfr avsnitt 16.2 om förfaranden för antagande av akter och andra bestämmelser). Beslutsförfarandena i de artiklar där samarbetsförfarandet idag tillämpas ändras därför enligt följande.
För att säkerställa en fastare samordning av den ekonomiska politiken ska rådet i dag på grundval av rapporter från kommissionen övervaka den ekonomiska utvecklingen i varje medlemsstat och inom unionen samt den ekonomiska politikens överensstämmelse med de allmänna riktlinjerna och regelbundet göra en samlad bedömning. För denna multilaterala övervakning ska medlemsstaterna lämna erforderliga uppgifter till kommissionen. Genom Lissabonfördraget anges att närmare föreskrifter om det multilaterala övervakningsförfarandet ska antas genom förordningar med tillämpning av det ordinarie lagstiftningsförfarandet (artikel 99.6 i EUF-fördraget). Ändringen innebär således en förstärkt ställning för Europaparlamentet.
I artiklarna 101–103 i EG-fördraget finns bestämmelser om förbud för Europeiska centralbanken (ECB) och nationella centralbanker att ge de gemensamma institutionerna eller de nationella offentliga organen, inklusive statsägda företag, rätt att övertrassera sina konton eller ge dem andra former av krediter. ECB eller centralbankerna får inte heller direkt från dem förvärva skuldförbindelser. En positiv särbehandling av gemenskapsorgan eller nationella offentliga institutioner eller företag är likaså förbjuden. Vidare ska gemenskapen inte ansvara för eller åta sig förpliktelser som har ingåtts av nationella offentliga institutioner eller företag. Genom Lissabonfördraget anges att rådet efter att ha hört Europaparlamentet får ange närmare hur dessa förbud ska tillämpas (artikel 103.2 i EUF-fördraget).”
***
Lissabonin sopimus
The Finnish ratification bill, ‘Hallituksen esitys Eduskunnalle Euroopan unionista tehdyn sopimuksen ja Euroopan yhteisön perustamissopimuksen muuttamisesta tehdyn Lissabonin sopimuksen hyväksymisestä ja laiksi sen lainsäädännön alaan kuuluvien määräysten voimaansaattamisesta’ (HE 23/2008 vp), discusses economic and monetary policy (Talous- ja rahapolitiikka) on pages 209 to 214.
The ratification bill briefly describes Article 103 TFEU (ToL), renumbered Article 125 TFEU, where the union is not liable for member states’ debts or commitments, as essentially the same as Article III-183 Constitution and Article 103 TEC, [but it does not mention that the member states lack liability]. It then remarks on the expansion of paragraph 2 (page 210):
”103 artikla (uusi 125 artikla), jonka mukaan unioni ei ole vastuussa jäsenvaltioiden veloista tai niiden muista antamista taloudellisista sitoumuksista, vastaa asiasisällöltään perustuslakisopimuksen III-183 ja SEY 103 artiklaa.
Artiklan 2 kohtaa on laajennettu niin, että sen perusteella voidaan antaa myös 101 ja 102 artiklan soveltamista varten tarvittavat tarkemmat määräykset.”
The Finnish ratification bill is available at:
http://www.finlex.fi/fi/esitykset/he/2008/20080023.pdf
The Swedish language version of the ratification bill ‘Regeringens proposition till Riksdagen med förslag om godkännande av Lissabonfördraget om ändring av fördraget om Europeiska unionen och fördraget om upprättandet av Europeiska gemenskapen och till lag om sättande i kraft av de bestämmelser i fördraget som hör till området för lagstiftningen’ (RP 23/2008 rd), makes the same remarks under ’Ekonomisk och monetär politik’ on Article 103 TFEU (ToL), the future Article 125 TFEU, on page 213:
”Artikel 103 (blivande artikel 125), enligt vilken unionen inte ska ansvara för medlemsstaternas skulder eller andra ekonomiska förpliktelser, motsvarar i sak artikel III-183 i det konstitutionella fördraget och artikel 103 i EG-fördraget.
Artikel 103.2 har utvidgats så att med stöd av den får antas även närmare bestämmelser som behövs för tillämpningen av artiklarna 101 och 102.”
The ratification bill in Swedish can be accessed at:
http://www.finlex.fi/sv/esitykset/he/2008/20080023.pdf
***
de Poncins
Étienne de Poncins offers a few general comments on EU economic governance and budget matters, ‘La gouvernance économique et les questions budgétaires’ in his ‘Le traité de Lisbonne en 27 clés’ (Éditions Lignes de Repères, 2008), pages 245─251, but nothing specific on Article 125 TFEU.
Fischer
‚Der Vertrag von Lissabon‘, by Klemens H. Fischer (Nomos, Stämpfli & Verlag Österreich, 2008), traces the amendments Article by Article; here on pages 265─266. He offers the following statement on paragraph 2:
„Der bisherige Text von Absatz 2 wird gestrichen und durch einen neuen Text ersetzt, demgemäß in Hinkunft nicht mehr das Zustimmungsverfahren, sondern das Anhörungsverfahren zur Anwendung gelangt.“
Priollaud and Siritzky
François-Xavier Priollaud and David Siritzky offer a short introductory explanation on economic and monetary policy (pages 246 and 247) and on economic policy coordination, including the treaty amendments (pages 248 to 250) in their book ‘Le traité de Lisbonne – Commentaire, article par article, des nouveaux traités européens (TUE et TFUE)’ (La Documentation française, Paris, 2008), but there is no comment on Article 125 TFEU.
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Consultation procedure
Just in case someone wants to reflect on the consultation procedure (and other decision-making procedures), Martin Gellermann offers a description in Rudolf Streinz (Hrsgb.): EUV/EGV Vertrag über die Europäische Union und Vertrag zur Gründung der Europäischen Gemeinschaft (C.H.Beck, 2003). I quote the beginning of Konsultations- oder Anhörungsverfahren (page 2204):
„Als Ursprungsmodell für eine Beteiligung des Europäischen Parlaments am Prozess der gemeinschaftlichen Rechtsetzung erscheint das Konsultations- oder Anhörungsverfahren in dem der Kommission das Initiativrecht, dem Parlament eine Beratungsbefugnis und dem Rat das alleinige Entscheidungsrecht gebührt.“
Ralf Grahn
Showing posts with label Article 125. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Article 125. Show all posts
Sunday, 5 October 2008
Saturday, 4 October 2008
EU: No-bailout rule V
What, if anything, has been said about the amendments concerning Article 125 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)?
***
Statewatch
Professor Steve Peers covered the Treaty of Lisbon in a number of Statewatch Analyses. ‘EU Reform Treaty Analysis no. 3.4: Revised text of Part Three, Titles VII to XVII of the Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC): Other internal EC policies’ (Version 2, 24 October 2007) includes the current Title VII Economic and monetary policy.
Peers presented the text of Article 103 TFEU (ToL), to be renumbered Article 125 TFEU in the consolidated version, and highlighted the changes [except the small slip that ‘Community’ was not replaced by ‘Union’]. He offered the following comment (page 8):
“The consultation procedure will apply to this Article (along with Articles 101 and 102), in place of the ‘cooperation’ procedure. The measures concerned shall not constitute legislative acts. This entails a downgrade of the EP’s role here.”
The analysis 3.4 and other useful Statewatch analyses are available through:
http://www.statewatch.org/euconstitution.htm
***
FCO
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) offers a convenient source of brief annotations on Lisbon Treaty amendments in ‘A comparative table of the current EC and EU treaties as amended by the Treaty of Lisbon’ (Command Paper 7311, published 21 January 2008). It offers the following comment on Article 125 TFEU, Article 103 TFEU (ToL) in the original Lisbon Treaty (page 12):
“Draws on Article 103 TEC. Paragraph 2 replaces the cooperation procedure with consultation with the EP.”
The FCO comparative table is available at:
http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm73/7311/7311.asp
***
House of Commons Library
The UK House of Commons Library Research Paper 07/86 ‘The Treaty of Lisbon: amendments to the Treaty establishing the European Community’ (published 6 December 2007) discussed ‘H. Economic and Monetary Policy’ on pages 61 to 64, but I found nothing on Article 103 TFEU (ToL).
The Library Research Paper 07/86 is available at:
http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2007/rp07-086.pdf
***
House of Lords
I found nothing on Article 103 TFEU (ToL) or 125 TFEU in the House of Lords European Union Committee report ‘The Treaty of Lisbon: an impact assessment, Volume I: Report’ (HL Paper 62-I, published 13 March 2008), but the Glossary offered a brief explanation of ‘Consultation’, on page 297:
“Consultation (of the European Parliament): a procedure which requires the Council to consult the EP and take its views into account before voting on a Commission proposal.”
[For a somewhat different take on the consultation procedure, read the following post.]
The impact assessment report is accessible at:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200708/ldselect/ldeucom/62/62.pdf
***
The following post is going to present additional legislative materials on Article 125 TFEU.
Ralf Grahn
***
Statewatch
Professor Steve Peers covered the Treaty of Lisbon in a number of Statewatch Analyses. ‘EU Reform Treaty Analysis no. 3.4: Revised text of Part Three, Titles VII to XVII of the Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC): Other internal EC policies’ (Version 2, 24 October 2007) includes the current Title VII Economic and monetary policy.
Peers presented the text of Article 103 TFEU (ToL), to be renumbered Article 125 TFEU in the consolidated version, and highlighted the changes [except the small slip that ‘Community’ was not replaced by ‘Union’]. He offered the following comment (page 8):
“The consultation procedure will apply to this Article (along with Articles 101 and 102), in place of the ‘cooperation’ procedure. The measures concerned shall not constitute legislative acts. This entails a downgrade of the EP’s role here.”
The analysis 3.4 and other useful Statewatch analyses are available through:
http://www.statewatch.org/euconstitution.htm
***
FCO
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) offers a convenient source of brief annotations on Lisbon Treaty amendments in ‘A comparative table of the current EC and EU treaties as amended by the Treaty of Lisbon’ (Command Paper 7311, published 21 January 2008). It offers the following comment on Article 125 TFEU, Article 103 TFEU (ToL) in the original Lisbon Treaty (page 12):
“Draws on Article 103 TEC. Paragraph 2 replaces the cooperation procedure with consultation with the EP.”
The FCO comparative table is available at:
http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/cm73/7311/7311.asp
***
House of Commons Library
The UK House of Commons Library Research Paper 07/86 ‘The Treaty of Lisbon: amendments to the Treaty establishing the European Community’ (published 6 December 2007) discussed ‘H. Economic and Monetary Policy’ on pages 61 to 64, but I found nothing on Article 103 TFEU (ToL).
The Library Research Paper 07/86 is available at:
http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2007/rp07-086.pdf
***
House of Lords
I found nothing on Article 103 TFEU (ToL) or 125 TFEU in the House of Lords European Union Committee report ‘The Treaty of Lisbon: an impact assessment, Volume I: Report’ (HL Paper 62-I, published 13 March 2008), but the Glossary offered a brief explanation of ‘Consultation’, on page 297:
“Consultation (of the European Parliament): a procedure which requires the Council to consult the EP and take its views into account before voting on a Commission proposal.”
[For a somewhat different take on the consultation procedure, read the following post.]
The impact assessment report is accessible at:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200708/ldselect/ldeucom/62/62.pdf
***
The following post is going to present additional legislative materials on Article 125 TFEU.
Ralf Grahn
Friday, 3 October 2008
EU: No-bailout rule IV
Bailouts of financial institutions dominate the news in the United States and Europe, but does the EU Lisbon Treaty change the European Community’s (European Union’s) and other member states’ lack of responsibility for public debt of a member state, the so called ‘no-bailout’ clause?
***
The currentt Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC) was to become the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), and generally the innovations as agreed in the 2004 IGC were to be inserted into the Treaty by way of specific modifications ‘in the usual manner’ (points 17 and 18, pages 6 and 7). As we remember, the legal base in Article III-183(2) of the Constitutional Treaty was rewritten.
I found nothing specific in the mandate of the intergovernmental conference (IGC 2007 Mandate, Council document 11218/07, 26 June 2007) about Article 103 TEC.
***
In Article 2, point 89 of the original Treaty of Lisbon (ToL) the IGC 2007 agreed on the following concerning Article 103 TEC (OJ 17.12.2007 C 306/71):
89) In Article 103, paragraph 2 shall be replaced by the following:
‘2. The Council, on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting the European Parliament, may, as required, specify definitions for the application of the prohibitions referred to in Articles 101 and 102 and in this Article.’.
***
The TFEU table of equivalences confirms that Article 103 TFEU (ToL) in the original Treaty of Lisbon was to be renumbered Article 125 TFEU in the consolidated version, under the title ‘Economic and monetary policy’, renumbered Title VIII (OJ 17.12.2007 C 306/211─212).
***
Consolidated Lisbon Treaty
Article 125 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) is found in the consolidated versions of the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, published in the Official Journal of the European Union, OJ 9.5.2008 C 115/99:
Part Three Union policies and internal actions
Title VIII Economic and monetary policy
Chapter 1 Economic policy
Article 125 TFEU
(ex Article 103 TEC)
1. The Union shall not be liable for or assume the commitments of central governments, regional, local or other public authorities, other bodies governed by public law, or public undertakings of any Member State, without prejudice to mutual financial guarantees for the joint execution of a specific project. A Member State shall not be liable for or assume the commitments of central governments, regional, local or other public authorities, other bodies governed by public law, or public undertakings of another Member State, without prejudice to mutual financial guarantees for the joint execution of a specific project.
2. The Council, on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting the European Parliament, may, as required, specify definitions for the application of the prohibitions referred to in Articles 123 and 124 and in this Article.
***
With regard to the current Article 103 TEC, in the first paragraph, the ‘Community’ was replaced by the ‘Union’; one of the so called horizontal amendments.
Paragraph 2 was rewritten. As in the cooperation procedure (Article 252 TEC), the Council acts on a proposal from the Commission. But according to the Lisbon Treaty, the European Parliament is only consulted.
***
Proposal from the Commission
Here is a reminder of the significance of a proposal from the Commission, as laid out in the Treaty of Lisbon (consolidated version, OJ 9.5.2008 C 115/173):
Article 293 TFEU
(ex Article 250 TEC)
1. Where, pursuant to the Treaties, the Council acts on a proposal from the Commission, it may amend that proposal only by acting unanimously, except in the cases referred to in paragraphs 10 and 13 of Article 294, in Articles 310, 312 and 314 and in the second paragraph of Article 315.
2. As long as the Council has not acted, the Commission may alter its proposal at any time during the procedures leading to the adoption of a Union act.
***
The following instalment is going to take a look at some comments concerning Article 125 TFEU.
Ralf Grahn
***
The currentt Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC) was to become the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), and generally the innovations as agreed in the 2004 IGC were to be inserted into the Treaty by way of specific modifications ‘in the usual manner’ (points 17 and 18, pages 6 and 7). As we remember, the legal base in Article III-183(2) of the Constitutional Treaty was rewritten.
I found nothing specific in the mandate of the intergovernmental conference (IGC 2007 Mandate, Council document 11218/07, 26 June 2007) about Article 103 TEC.
***
In Article 2, point 89 of the original Treaty of Lisbon (ToL) the IGC 2007 agreed on the following concerning Article 103 TEC (OJ 17.12.2007 C 306/71):
89) In Article 103, paragraph 2 shall be replaced by the following:
‘2. The Council, on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting the European Parliament, may, as required, specify definitions for the application of the prohibitions referred to in Articles 101 and 102 and in this Article.’.
***
The TFEU table of equivalences confirms that Article 103 TFEU (ToL) in the original Treaty of Lisbon was to be renumbered Article 125 TFEU in the consolidated version, under the title ‘Economic and monetary policy’, renumbered Title VIII (OJ 17.12.2007 C 306/211─212).
***
Consolidated Lisbon Treaty
Article 125 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) is found in the consolidated versions of the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, published in the Official Journal of the European Union, OJ 9.5.2008 C 115/99:
Part Three Union policies and internal actions
Title VIII Economic and monetary policy
Chapter 1 Economic policy
Article 125 TFEU
(ex Article 103 TEC)
1. The Union shall not be liable for or assume the commitments of central governments, regional, local or other public authorities, other bodies governed by public law, or public undertakings of any Member State, without prejudice to mutual financial guarantees for the joint execution of a specific project. A Member State shall not be liable for or assume the commitments of central governments, regional, local or other public authorities, other bodies governed by public law, or public undertakings of another Member State, without prejudice to mutual financial guarantees for the joint execution of a specific project.
2. The Council, on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting the European Parliament, may, as required, specify definitions for the application of the prohibitions referred to in Articles 123 and 124 and in this Article.
***
With regard to the current Article 103 TEC, in the first paragraph, the ‘Community’ was replaced by the ‘Union’; one of the so called horizontal amendments.
Paragraph 2 was rewritten. As in the cooperation procedure (Article 252 TEC), the Council acts on a proposal from the Commission. But according to the Lisbon Treaty, the European Parliament is only consulted.
***
Proposal from the Commission
Here is a reminder of the significance of a proposal from the Commission, as laid out in the Treaty of Lisbon (consolidated version, OJ 9.5.2008 C 115/173):
Article 293 TFEU
(ex Article 250 TEC)
1. Where, pursuant to the Treaties, the Council acts on a proposal from the Commission, it may amend that proposal only by acting unanimously, except in the cases referred to in paragraphs 10 and 13 of Article 294, in Articles 310, 312 and 314 and in the second paragraph of Article 315.
2. As long as the Council has not acted, the Commission may alter its proposal at any time during the procedures leading to the adoption of a Union act.
***
The following instalment is going to take a look at some comments concerning Article 125 TFEU.
Ralf Grahn
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