Brussels, 04/11/2003 (Agence Europe) - The "Phyrus" expert group, which is made up of representatives of IGC participants, will verify the "legal coherence and safety" of the draft Constitution produced by the Convention, said a source at the European Commission. Having re-read the entire draft in October, there remain points to be reviewed in Part IV and the protocols. This group is also in charge of clarifying the legal questions addressed to the IGC, before these are examined politically. It should receive the list of these questions at the end of this week or the beginning of next.
Re-reading the draft Treaty, the "Phyrus" group commented that the text specified the composition of the Commission from 1 November 2009, but not before. It therefore added a note to Part IV to the effect that this would be settled by a protocol, to be drawn up by the IGC, between now and then. The Convention wanted the rules reached in Nice to apply until 2009, a Commission source recalled. However, due to the opposition of the United Kingdom, the article on the symbols of the Union (flag, anthem, which the Convention Members from the Parliament were particularly keen on), has not been moved from the fourth part to the first, according to an expert on European issues. Nor did the "Phyrus" group move the determination of the voting mode in the Commission and the Parliament to Part I (where it already features for the Council), due to the opposition of several delegations.
Around ten further meetings are planned. This working group is made up of representatives of the 15 Member States and the 10 acceding countries, plus the Commission, observers from the 3 candidate countries, and the European Parliament. The Commission emphasises the fact that this group's mandate is legal, not political, adding that the IGC could return to the points raised by the group, which could then examine changes made by the IGC.