Airstrip One

The Second Draft (Part 6)

Article 13: The coordination of economic policies

1. The Union shall coordinate the economic policies of the Member States, in particular by establishing broad guidelines for these policies.

2. The Member States shall conduct their economic policies, taking account of the common interest, so as to contribute to the achievements of the objectives of the Union.

3. Specific provisions shall apply to those Member States who have adopted the Euro.

Article 14: The common foreign and security policy

Member States shall actively and unreservedly support the Union's common foreign and security policy in a spirit of loyalty and mutual solidarity. They shall refrain from action action contrary to the Union's interests or likely to undermine its effectiveness.

Article 15: Areas of supporting action

1. The Union may take coordinating, complementary or supporting action. The scope of this competence is defined by the provisions of Part Two.

2. The areas of supporting action are: employment; industry; education, vocational training and youth; culture; sport; protection against disasters.

3. The Member States shall coordinate their national employment policies within the Union.

4. Legally binding acts adopted by the Union on the basis of the provisions specific to these areas in Part Two cannot entail harmonisation of Members States' laws or regulations.

Article 16: Flexibility Clause

1. If action by the Union should prove necessary within the framework of the policies defined in Part Two to attain one of the objectives set by this Constitution, and the Constitution has not provided the necessary powers, the Council, acting unanimously on a proposal from the Commission and after obtaining the assent of the European Parliament, shall take the appropriate measures.

2. Using the procedure for monitoring the subsidiarity principle referred to in Article 9, the Commission shall draw Member States' national parliaments' to proposals based on this Article.

3. Provisions adopted on the basis of this Article may not entail harmonisationof member States' laws and regulations in cases where the Commission excludes such harmonisation.

The draft may be found here. The British government has realised that its influence in the Convention is minimal, as Peter Hain's criticisms revealed today. Both the British and the Danish were most critical in their acceptance of this draft which would effectively end Britain's sovereignty. Giscard's response:

European leaders have to develop a reflex to think in European terms first. At present there is no European reflex and Europe suffers as a result

American readers should note that if New Labour signs up to this, even in a modified form, Britain's campaign in the Gulf can be viewed as a last hurrah!