Presidency Conclusions on the EU Summit

The meeting of the European Council was preceded by an exposé by the President of the European
Parliament, Mr Hans-Gert Pöttering, followed by an exchange of views.

1. Europe is united in its resolve that only by working together can we represent our interests
and goals in the world of tomorrow. The European Union is determined to contribute its ideas
of a sustainable, efficient and just economic and social order to the global process.

2. The European Union faces a twofold responsibility. In order to secure our future as an active
player in a rapidly changing world and in the face of ever-growing challenges, we have to
maintain and develop the European Union's capacity to act and its accountability to the
citizen. That is why we have to focus our efforts on the necessary internal reform process. At
the same time, the European Union is called upon to shape European policy here and now for
the benefit of Europe's citizens.

3. The most recent positive results include the Roaming Regulation which reduces the cost of
modern communication in Europe, the creation of the European payment area which makes
travelling and living together easier in the EU and the constant improvement of consumer
rights which guarantee citizens the same high standards across the entire European Union.

4. With its decisions on an integrated climate and energy policy the European Council in
Spring 2007 underlined the synergies between these two key areas and paved the way for
improved climate protection and dealing responsibly with energy.

5. Closer crossborder police and judicial cooperation means more security for everyone. At the
same time the EU is working to protect and strengthen civil liberties at European level.

6. Contributing to the day-to-day life of its citizens and securing the European Union's ability to
act in the future: with this twofold goal in mind, the European Council today adopted the
following conclusions.

7. The European Council emphasises the crucial importance of reinforcing communication with
the European citizens, providing full and comprehensive information on the European Union
and involving them in a permanent dialogue. This will be particularly important during the
upcoming IGC and ratification process.

TREATY REFORM PROCESS

8. The European Council agrees that, after two years of uncertainty over the Union's treaty
reform process, the time has come to resolve the issue and for the Union to move on. The
period of reflection has provided the opportunity in the meantime for wide public debate and
helped prepare the ground for a solution.

9. Against this background, the European Council welcomes the report drawn up by the
Presidency (doc.10659/07) following the mandate given to it in June 2006, and agrees that
settling this issue quickly is a priority.

10. To this end the European Council agrees to convene an Intergovernmental Conference and
invites the Presidency without delay to take the necessary steps in accordance with Article 48
of the TUE, with the objective of opening the IGC before the end of July as soon as the legal
requirements have been met.

11. The IGC will carry out its work in accordance with the mandate set out in Annex I to these
conclusions. The European Council invites the incoming Presidency to draw up a draft Treaty
text in line with the terms of the mandate and to submit this to the IGC as soon as it opens.
The IGC will complete its work as quickly as possible, and in any case before the end
of 2007, so as to allow for sufficient time to ratify the resulting Treaty before the European
Parliament elections in June 2009.

12. The IGC will be conducted under the overall responsibility of the Heads of State or
Government, assisted by the members of the General Affairs and External Relations Council.
The Representative of the Commission will participate in the Conference. The European
Parliament will be closely associated with and involved in the work of the Conference with
3 representatives. The General Secretariat of the Council will provide the secretariat support
for the Conference.

13. Having consulted the President of the European Parliament, the European Council invites the
European Parliament, in order to pave the way for settling the issue of the future composition
of the European Parliament in good time before the 2009 elections, to put forward by
October 2007 a draft of the initiative foreseen in Protocol 34 as agreed in the 2004 IGC.

14. The incoming presidency is invited to ensure that the candidate countries are kept fully and
regularly briefed throughout the Intergovernmental Conference.