IGC bestudeert 123 protocollen behorende bij EU-verdragen (en)

On the initiative of the Italian EU presidency, the Commission's legal service has drawn up a list of all the protocols that are currently annexed to the EU treaties.

The aim is to see what should stay, what should go, and what should be changed during the current Intergovernmental Conference (IGC), that will negotiate a new European Constitution to replace the existing EU treaties.

The study has revealed that the European Union operates with a total of 123 protocols of which 36 are related to the current basic treaties, 5 were proposed by the Convention in the draft Constitution and the rest are related to accession treaties.

When Denmark, Ireland and the UK entered the EU in 1973 a total of 30 protocols were set up. Greece got 7 protocols when entering the EU, Spain and Portugal 25, Sweden, Finland and Austria 10 and another 10 protocols were agreed in relation to the accession treaties of the 10 new countries to join the EU on 1 May 2004.

Euro, sugar and immunity

The content of the 123 protocols vary widely. Some regulate institutional affairs, others preserve sensitive national rights and a great number relate to trade and customs issues.

Among the more-well known protocols are the British and Danish euro opt-out protocols.

One protocol offers the privilege of immunity to EU officials. The functions of the European Central Bank and the Court of Justice are also regulated by protocols.

Austria has special linguistic terms protected by a protocol and the abortion protocols given to Malta and Ireland are also quite well known.

Relations between the European Union and Greenland, the Isle of Man, the Faroe Islands, the Canary Islands, the Antilles, the Åland Islands, the Arctic Archipelago Svalbard and other areas are regulated via protocols.

And finally, a great number of protocols relate to trade - ranging from the UK's import of sugar from the Commonwealth and cheese from New Zealand to cotton protocols offered to Greece, Spain and Portugal.