Suggestion for amendment of Article 2

Suggestions for amendments to the text of the Articles of the Treaty

AMENDMENT FORM

Suggestion for amendment of Article 2: Part II - Title B

By: Mrs Sandra Kalniete, Mr Roberts Zile, Mrs Liene Liepina, Mr Rihards Piks, Mr Arturs Krisjanis Karins, Mr Guntars Krasts.

Article 2

1. On the basis of the principles and objectives referred to in Article 1 of this Title, the European Council shall identify the strategic interests and objectives of the Union.
   
   European Council decisions on the strategic interests and objectives of the Union may relate to foreign policy and to other areas of the external action of the Union. Such decisions may concern the relations of the Union with a specific country or region or may be thematic in approach. They shall define their duration, and the means to be made available by the Union and the Member States.
   
   The European Council shall act unanimously on a proposal from the Council. The Council proposal shall be adopted by the Council by a qualified majority on the basis of recommendations by the Minister for Foreign Affairs (for matters relating to the common foreign and security policy), by the Commission (for other areas of external action), or by both together. The decisions of the European Council shall be implemented by the Council in accordance with the procedures provided for in the Constitution.
   
2. The Minister for Foreign Affairs External Representative of the European Union, for the field of common foreign and security policy, and the Commission, for other fields of external action, may submit joint proposals to the Council. The Council shall adopt decisions on such joint proposals by qualified majority.

Explanation (if any):

The proposed wording reflects more precisely the nature of the post established. The wording of the current draft could create misinterpretation, as there do exist the posts bearing the same name in the member states of the European Union.