The Treaty of Amsterdam, also known as the Amsterdam Treaty, is an international agreement that amended the functioning of the European Union. It was signed on October 2, 1997, and entered into force on May 1, 1999. The treaty aimed to update and improve the provisions of the EU's founding treaties, addressing issues such as institutional reform, the extension of EU powers, and the enhancement of cooperation in various policy areas.
Institutional Reforms
European Parliament: The Amsterdam Treaty expanded the legislative powers of the European Parliament (EP), increasing its co-legislative role in more policy areas. It also introduced the process of co-decision, which enhanced the EP's influence by requiring its approval for certain legislative acts.
Council of Ministers: The treaty introduced changes to the Council of the European Union, which is the EU's primary decision-making body. It expanded the use of qualified majority voting (QMV) in decision-making, reducing the frequency of unanimous voting and making the decision-making process more efficient.
European Commission: The treaty made changes to the composition and functioning of the European Commission. It reduced the number of commissioners from 20 to 27, with a rotation system ensuring that each member state would have a commissioner at some point. This was aimed at making the Commission more efficient and facilitating its future enlargement.
New Policy Areas and Cooperation
Employment: The Amsterdam Treaty added a new chapter on employment to the EU's founding treaties. It aimed to promote job creation, combat unemployment, and coordinate member states' employment policies.
Social policy: The treaty expanded the scope of the EU's social policy, allowing for the coordination of social security systems and the adoption of legislation to improve working conditions, equal opportunities, and social protection.
Justice and home affairs: The treaty brought the JHA pillar from the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht Treaty) into the EU's founding treaties. This change aimed to strengthen cooperation among member states in areas such as immigration, asylum, border controls, and judicial cooperation in criminal matters.
Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP): The Amsterdam Treaty expanded the CFSP, reinforcing the EU's role in international affairs. It introduced new provisions for common actions, decision-making procedures, and cooperation on defence matters.
Human Rights and Non-Discrimination
Charter of Fundamental Rights: Although the Amsterdam Treaty did not create the Charter of Fundamental Rights itself, it laid the groundwork for its development. The treaty included a provision that required the EU to draft a charter of fundamental rights, which later resulted in the adoption of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.
Non-discrimination: The treaty extended the principle of non-discrimination to cover grounds such as race, ethnic origin, religion, disability, age, and sexual orientation. This aimed to strengthen the protection of individuals against discrimination within the EU.
Enlargement and Flexibility
Enlargement: The Amsterdam Treaty included provisions to prepare the EU for its future enlargement. It revised decision-making procedures to facilitate the accession of new member states, streamlining the process for admitting new countries into the EU.
Flexibility mechanisms: The treaty introduced flexibility mechanisms, such as enhanced cooperation, to allow groups of member states to deepen integration in specific areas without the involvement of all member states. This aimed to facilitate integration among countries that were ready and willing to move forward.
The Amsterdam Treaty played a crucial role in updating and adapting the EU's institutional framework and policy areas to meet the evolving challenges and opportunities of the late 1990s. It aimed to enhance the EU's democratic legitimacy, decision-making efficiency, and policy scope while preparing the Union for its future enlargement.
You can learn more about this topic with our EU Law notes.
