European Council of Thessaloniki, 19-20/06/2003

During the European Council meeting in Thessaloniki on 19 and 20 June 2003, the EU Heads of State and Government examined the draft European Constitution, the result of the work of the Convention on the Future of Europe. The European leaders also reached an agreement on developing a European asylum and migration policy and on the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). The draft European Constitution presents several innovations: – granting legal personality to the EU – ending the rotating EU Presidency, with the election of a President of the Council for a two-and-a-half-year term – limiting the number of European Commissioners to 15 – creating an EU Foreign Minister, primarily responsible for the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) – increasing the legislative powers of the European Parliament – incorporating the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights into the Treaty – establishing the citizen’s right to initiate legislation – the possibility for a member state to withdraw from the European Union. On the sidelines of the Council, the EU-Balkans Summit confirmed the European direction of the countries in the region.