The European Constitution: Its Origins, Negotiation and Meaning - Softcover

"This is the story of the Constitution told by three people working in the Secretariat of the Council who were amongst the most closely involved in the entire process. But the book is not simply written by insiders for insiders. The experience and knowledge acquired as a result of being so directly associated with the drafting of the Constitution has been distilled and presented in a way which makes this book accessible to anyone with an interest in the subject." Javier Solana, Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union and High Representative for the EU common foreign and security policy"

In October 2004, the EU member states signed in Rome a new constitutional treaty to provide the future framework for the expanded European Union. Profoundly controversial in many member states, the treaty must now be ratified by each of the 25 member states - a process likely to take two or more years, with several countries planning referendums, giving the book great topical interest. This book explains how the treaty was negotiated, the play of different forces, and what it means for Europe.