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1 (December 27, 2005)

handle is hein.crs/crsmthabcix0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Order Code RS21757 Updated December 27, 2005 CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web The European Union in 2006 and Beyond Kristin Archick Specialist in European Affairs Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary The European Union (EU) has experienced significant changes over the last few years. The EU has enlarged from 15 to 25 members and has been working to implement a new constitutional treaty to institute internal reforms and further political integration. The EU has also taken steps toward developing a common foreign policy and defense arm. This report describes the current status of the EU's constitutional treaty, EU enlargement, the EU's evolving foreign and defense policies, and possible implications for U.S.-EU relations. It will be updated as events warrant. For more information, see CRS Report RS21372, The European Union: Questions and Answers. The EU's Constitution Background. The European Union (EU) is a treaty-based, institutional framework that defines and manages political and economic cooperation among its 25 member states (Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom). In June 2004, EU leaders concluded work on a constitutional treaty that contains changes to the EU's governing institutions and decision-making processes. Commonly referred to as the constitution, this new treaty aims to enable a larger EU to operate effectively and prevent gridlock, boost the EU' s visibility on the world stage, and enhance the Union's democratic legitimacy. It grew out of the 2002-2003 Convention on the Future of Europe and previous EU efforts to institute internal reforms. Major innovations in the over 300-page constitution include abolishing the EU's rotating presidency in favor of a single individual with longer tenure; creating a new EU foreign minister position that will combine the roles of the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the External Relations Commissioner; increasing the European Parliament's powers by extending its decision-making rights to additional policy areas; and decreasing the size of the Commission in 2014. EU leaders also agreed to simplify the EU's current, complex system of Qualified Majority Voting (QMV); beginning in 2009, QMV decisions will require 55% of member states (compromising at least 15 of them) representing at least 65% of the EU's population. In the defense field, EU leaders approved: a mutual assistance clause that has been likened Congressional Research Service +. The Library of Congress

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