The United Kingdom and the Constitutional Treaty: Leading from within?

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the UK government's negotiating strategy in the IGC negotiations which led to the Constitutional Treaty. It first examines UK negotiating strategies towards IGC negotiations and then analyses the UK position in the lead up to the decision to convene the Convention on the Future of Europe. It also reviews the UK position in the opening months of the Convention when the government was regarded as playing a full part in the discussions. Thereafter the analysis proceeds to review the implications that the publication of the first 'skeleton' draft of the Constitutional Treaty had on the UK negotiating tactics. The chapter assesses the impact of the UK 'red lines' after the publication of the draft treaty articles in February 2003. It then offers analysis of the government's engagement in the IGC negotiations before finally concluding with a review of the balance sheet of UK negotiating tactics. Keywords: Constitutional Treaty; draft treaty articles; Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) negotiations; UK 'red lines'; UK government; UK negotiating tactics