Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe

The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe was an attempt to replace the existing European Union treaties with a single constitutional text. Signed in Rome by the leaders of the member states, it would have created a permanent President of the European Council and an EU foreign minister, given legal force to the Charter of Fundamental Rights and extended majority voting. It had to be ratified by every member. Several countries approved it through parliaments or referendums, but French voters rejected it in May 2005 and Dutch voters a few days later, and the process was halted. Most of its content was reworked, without the constitutional language and symbols such as a flag and anthem, in the Treaty of Lisbon, signed in 2007 and in force from 2009.

Open on the timeline