阿姆斯特丹條約

1992年2月7日歐洲共同體的全體會員國在荷蘭的馬斯垂克(Maastricht)簽訂了歐洲聯盟條約，就建立「經濟暨貨幣聯盟」及「政治聯盟」達成協議，進一步完成歐洲政經統合的藍圖。雖然歐洲聯盟條約創設了歐洲聯盟，但歐洲聯盟的整合併未完成，歐洲聯盟條約第N條第二項亦規定，在1996年應由會員國的政府代表召開會議，檢討歐洲聯盟條約應如何修改，以配合歐洲聯盟發展之需要。

1996年3月29日歐洲聯盟高峰會議在義大利杜林(Turin)召開，就歐洲聯盟整合的各項議題展開協商，並於1997年10月2日於荷蘭阿姆斯特丹舉行的歐盟高峰會議中，由各國外交部長就協商結果簽訂了阿姆斯特丹條約，以下便簡介該條約的重要內容及後續發展

1997年10月2日上午，歐盟15個成員國的外交部長在荷蘭首都阿姆斯特丹的王宮正式簽署了《阿姆斯特丹條約》。歐盟委員會主席桑特在講話中說，阿約的達成表明了歐盟在深化一體化方面取得了進步。《阿約》為建設“社會的歐洲”建立了法律基礎。在共同外交安全政策方面，歐盟各國也表現出了一定的政治意願。但他同時指出，表決機制的改革並沒有達到預期的目標。桑特承認，歐洲一體化已經到了每前進一步都是非常困難的階段。

此次簽署的條約附件中增加了法國、義大利和比利時三國9月中發表的共同聲明。聲明明確指出，《阿約》在改革歐盟機構以加強歐盟決策權方面沒有取得實質性進展。

《阿姆斯特丹條約》是1997年6月中旬達成的，它是繼《羅馬條約》和《馬斯特里赫特條約》后的第三個歐盟條約。歐盟成員國為準備這項為擴大歐盟奠定基礎的條約，以政府間會議的形式進行了長達15個月的艱苦談判

第一章改寫了《馬約》的有關條款，強調自由、民主，尊重人權與基本自由、法治等原則為歐盟的基礎，並將恪守這些原則定為加入歐盟的先決條件。引人了一項制裁條款，即在首腦會議以全體一致議決認走一成員國內存在嚴重和持續違背上述原則的情況后，理事會可以以特定多數議決，中止條約賦予該國的某些權利，包括其在理事會內的表決權，另一項內容是在《羅馬條約》基礎上增寫了一項新條款，規定理事會可以採取適當的行動，以反對基於性別。種族與民族、宗教與信仰、傷殘。年齡或性取向之上的歧視。

第二章提出了“逐步建立一個自由、安全和公正的區域”的新目標，並在《羅馬條約》中增補了一編“人員自由流動、避難與移民”，將《馬約》的第三支柱“民政與司法合作”(第六編)中與人員自由流動相關的民政與司法事務移植升格為共同體行動(但英國、愛爾蘭與丹麥保留了自願參與的權利)。另一個發展是通過增添“一項議定書，將已有13個成員國(除英國與愛爾蘭)簽署加入的《申根協定》事務納入了歐盟。

《阿約》第二部分成文共9章，是使歐盟“更加貼近”其公民的一些內容。第三章將“高度就業”作為目標增寫進《馬約》與《羅馬條約》。

第四章改寫了《羅馬條約》有關社會政策的條款。

第五章將“可持續發展”的概念作為原則與目標寫入了有關條約，並將原在《羅馬條約》“環境保護”一編的一項規定——在界定和實施共同體政策與活動時，必須包括環境保護的要求一作為新條款移至該條的“原則”部分(第3D條)，即將此規定升格為歐共體的一項原則。

第六章改寫了《羅馬條約》關於公共衛生的第129條，要求在界定和實施歐共同體政策與活動時，應保障高度的公眾健康。

第七章改寫了《羅馬條約》關於消費者保護的第129A條，新增添的內容包括：第一，要求歐共同體為保護消費者的健康。安全與經濟利益作出貢獻；第二，在界定和實施共同體政策與活動時，應考慮到消費者保護的要求。

第八章涉及聯盟公民、文化，體育、邊遠地區與海外領地等眾多方面，其中改寫了《羅馬條約》有關反對欺詐舞弊的第209A條，賦予共同體對損害其財政利益的欺詐行為採取必要措施的權利。

第九章為增加《羅馬條約》的一項議定書，對該條約第3A條的“輔從原則”作了進一步界定。

第十章對歐盟立法的透明度作出了一些規定：一是將《馬約》第A條中“決策的作出應儘可能地貼近其公民”的條文，改寫為：“決策的作出應儘可能地公開和儘可能地貼近其公民”。二是在《羅馬條約》中增添了第191A條，規定任何聯盟公民、自然人與法人都有權根據有關規定取得歐盟機構的文件。

第十一章是寫入《條約》附錄的一項聲明。要求歐盟有關機構提高立法文件的質量，使之能被公眾更好地理解和得到有關方面更好的貫徹。《阿約》第三部分成文兩章是有關歐盟對外政策的條款

第十二章改寫了《馬約》關於共同外交與安全政策的條款由原來的11條增加為18條。

第十三章是對《羅馬條約》的增補，是賦予歐盟在共同貿易政策結構內談判和締結有關服務業及知識產權國際協定的權利。《阿約》第四部分成文6 章是關於歐盟機構改革的規定。

第十四章增添了三項內容：第一，歐盟決策必須得到議會的同意，其中包括對違背基本權利的成員國實行制裁，接受新成員國，締結某些國際協走等；第二，新增了23類立法，簡化了實施程序；第三，規定今後歐洲議會成員的總數不得超過700名。

第十五章增加了16類立法。

第十六章增添了三項內容：第一，歐洲議會在任命委員會主席時的作用，規定成員國政府以共同協議作出的委員會主席提名，必須得到歐洲議會的同意；第二，規定委員會其他成員將由成員國政府與已提名的委員會主席以共同協議提名；第三，規定委員會應在主席的“政治領導”下開展工作。

第十六和十八章分別對法院與審計院、經社委員會，地區委員會的職責和權利作了調整。

第十九章對成員國議會在歐盟決策中的作用作了一些規定：

第一，委員會白皮書、綠皮書、通訊與立法提案均應提供給各國議會，在理事會討論立法提案前應留出6 周時間讓各國議會提出意見；

第二，賦予1989年建立的各國議會歐洲事務小組委員會會議就歐盟立法提案提出意見的權利。《阿約》第五部分沒有分章。在《馬約》與《羅馬條約》中增添了新條款，規定在特定前提下，部分成員國可以利用歐盟或歐共體的機構。程序與機制在它們之間建立更為緊密的合作。《阿約》第六部分，是關於簡化和合關歐盟各條約的問題。

姆斯特丹條約於今年5月1日生效。但由於各會員國的意見歧異，未能就歐盟體制上的改革（亦為此次阿姆斯特丹條約修訂的重要原始動機），諸如各會員國在理事會表決權的票數比例及執委會席次等問題，在阿姆斯特丹條約中達成協議。然而為了因應歐盟的東進政策，亦即東歐國家的入會，這些體制上的重大改革問題勢必伴隨準會員國的入會談判腳步，成為不久后的將來，下一次歐洲聯盟暨歐洲共同體條約修正的催生劑。

The Treaty of Amsterdam amending the Treaty of the European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related acts, commonly known as the Amsterdam Treaty, was signed on October 2, 1997, and entered into force on May 1, 1999; it made substantial changes to the Treaty on European Union, which had been signed at Maastricht in 1992.

The Amsterdam Treaty meant a greater emphasis on citizenship and the rights of individuals, more democracy in the shape of increased powers for the European Parliament, a new title on employment, a Community area of freedom, security and justice, the beginnings of a common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and the reform of the institutions in the run-up to enlargement.

Contents

Amsterdam comprises 13 Protocols, 51 Declarations adopted by the Conference and 8 Declarations by Member States plus amendments to the existing Treaties set out in 15 Articles. Article 1 (containing 16 paragraphs) amends the general provisions of the Treaty on European Union and covers the CFSP and cooperation in criminal and police matters. The next four Articles (70 paragraphs) amend the EC Treaty, the European Coal and Steel Community Treaty (which expired in 2002), the Euratom Treaty and the Act concerning the election of the European Parliament. The final provisions contain four Articles. The new Treaty also set out to simplify the Community Treaties, deleting more than 56 obsolete articles and renumbering the rest in order to make the whole more legible. By way of example, Article 189b on the codecision procedure became Article 251.

Main amendments

Four key chapters were affected: citizenship and fundamental rights, the establishment of an area of freedom, security and justice, the CFSP and the reform of the institutions.

The Treaty opened the way for dialogue between the EU and its citizens by safeguarding fundamental rights (for the first time Member States failing to respect such rights may face penalties), tackling discrimination of all kinds, providing for equal opportunities for men and women, focusing on social issues and assets such as voluntary work, sport, public-service television broadcasting, disability, churches and non-confessional organisations, public credit institutions operating in certain countries and a rejection of the death penalty. But the Treaty also dealt with the major issues facing our society such as employment, the environment, public health and open government.

The most pressing concerns of ordinary Europeans, such as their legal and personal security, immigration and fraud prevention, were all dealt with in other chapters of the Treaty. In particular, the EU will now be able to legislate on immigration, civil law or civil procedure, insofar as this is necessary for the free movement of persons within the EU. At the same time, intergovernmental cooperation was intensified in the police and criminal justice field so that Member States will be able to coordinate their activities more effectively. The Union aims to establish an area of freedom, security and justice for its citizens. The Schengen Agreements have now been incorporated into the legal system of the EU. (Ireland and the UK remained outside the Schengen agreement, see Common Travel Area for details)

The Treaty lays down new principles and responsibilities in the field of the common foreign and security policy, with the emphasis on projecting the EU's values to the outside world, protecting its interests and reforming its modes of action. The European Council will lay down common strategies, which will then be put into effect by the Council acting by a qualified majority, subject to certain conditions. In other cases, some States may choose to abstain "constructively", i.e. without actually preventing decisions being taken.

The treaty introduced a High Representative for EU Foreign Policy who, together with the Presidents of the Council and the European Commission, puts a "name and a face" on EU policy in the outside world. Although the Amsterdam Treaty did not provide for a common defence, it did increase the EU's responsibilities for peacekeeping and humanitarian work, in particular by forging closer links with Western European Union.

As for the institutions, there were two major reforms concerning the codecision procedure (the legislative procedure involving the European Parliament and the Council), affecting its scope - most legislation was adopted by the codecision procedure - and its detailed procedures, with Parliament playing a much stronger role. The President of the Commission will also have to earn the personal trust of Parliament, which will give him the authority to lay down the Commission's policy guidelines and play an active part in choosing the Members of the Commission by deciding on their appointment by common accord with the national governments. These provisions make the Commission more politically accountable, particularly vis-à-vis the European Parliament. Finally, the new Treaty opens the door, under very strict conditions, to closer cooperation between Member States which so wish. Closer cooperation may be established, on a proposal from the Commission, in cases where it is not possible to take joint action, provided that such steps do not undermine the coherence of the EU or the rights and equality of its citizens.