The Treaty of Nice Actor Preferences, Bargaining And Institutional Choice

This book is the first thorough analysis of the making of the Treaty of Nice. It has chapters on each of the 15 Member States, analysing their preferences and strategies during the negotiations within the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) in 2000. There are also analyses of the roles of other actors, especially the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council Secretariat. The chapter on France takes a particular interest in the controversial role of the Presidency during the last part of the negotiations. The main issues on the Nice agenda: re-weighting of votes in the Council, the size and composition of the Commission, the extended use of qualified majority voting (QMV) and the changes in the flexibility provisions (or 'enhanced cooperation') are all analysed in depth. The two parallel processes, developing the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) and negotiating the Charter of Fundamental Rights are also analysed. Finally the book discusses the causes of the specific institutional choices made in Nice and briefly looks at the post-Nice agenda, including the Constitutional Treaty. At a time where the Constitutional Treaty has been put on hold it becomes even more important to understand the current treaty in force, the Treaty of Nice. Policy makers in the Member States and the Community institutions should all be interested in reading this book. For scholars and students of European integration the book is essential reading.