Brussels, 10/11/2003 (Agence Europe) - Rome's Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) brought out the second edition of Convention Watch at the end of October, in co-operation with the Trans European Policy States Association (TEPSA) of Brussels. This publication aims to make national debate on the future of Europe more easily accessible to the public at large. Produced under the co-ordination of Michele Comelli and Ettore Greco, this highly readable 90-page document sums up the prospects of the Intergovernmental Conference, especially the points at the centre of IGC debates up to now- definition of majority in Council, extending the scope of qualified majority, composition of the European Commission, European Foreign Minister- but also raises equally controversial questions which are still open, such as the possibility of referendums on the European Constitution, and what to be done in case of non-ratification.
This work (which is supported by the European Commission under the PRINCE programme) is the result of a questionnaire sent to "national rapporteurs" in thirteen Member States of the EU (all except Luxembourg and Ireland), plus a future Member State, Poland. Representatives of institutes of these countries responded also to questions on the "performance of the national representatives" to the European Convention- an interesting chapter, reliving the dynamic which has built up in the Convention over the months, its unexpected steps forwards and its climb-downs, and the more or less positive or aggressive role played by various Convention Members.