Treaty of Nice

Background and Purpose

The Treaty of Nice is a treaty signed by the Member States of the European Union (EU), which entered into force on 1 February 2003. It laid down the principles and methods for the evolution of the institutional system as the EU expands with the accession of Central and Eastern European countries ("CEEC").

Enlargement and Institutional Adaptation

With a view to enlargement to 28 Member States by 2007, the decision-making procedures within the institutions had to be adapted. A new distribution of votes allocated to each State in the Council, as well as the definition of a new calculation of qualified majority, seemed necessary for the proper functioning of this decision-making body threatened with paralysis.

Pre-Treaty Period

Prior to the Treaty of Nice, the voting system in the Council of the European Union was as follows:
* France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom had 10 votes each
* Spain, Poland, and Sweden had 8 votes each
* Belgium, Greece, Portugal, and Ireland had 5 votes each
* Austria, Denmark, Finland, and Luxembourg had 4 votes each
* The Netherlands and the United Kingdom had 3 votes each

Content of the Treaty

The Treaty of Nice corrected the Amsterdam Convention (the European Union Convention) and the Rome Statute (the treaty that established the European Economic Community). The treaty improved the institutional structure of the European Union to meet the expansion east, a task originally designed to be done according to the Amsterdam Convention, but did not receive reference at the time.

Ratification and Entry into Force

The entry into force of the treaty was doubted for a while, after its initial rejection by Irish voters in the referendum in June 2001. The result of the referendum became a subject of a second referendum, which finally ratified the treaty. The Treaty of Nice entered into force on 1 February 2003.

Significance and Impact

The Treaty of Nice was signed in Nice, France on 26 February 2001. It played an important role in preparing for the great expansion of the European Union and improving the institutional structure to meet the needs of new member states.