European Convention (1999-2000)
Encyclopedia
The European Convention was the 1999 convention which drafted the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
. The convention was called in 1999 by the Cologne European Council to consolidate rights for EU citizens and enshrine them at EU level.
The meeting was composed of Members of the European Parliament
, members of the national parliaments of the European Union
, representatives from European Union member state
governments and a representative of the European Commission
with observers from other EU institutions. The convention was chaired by Roman Herzog
.
It met for the first time in December 1999 and on 2 October 2000 it presented its draft document. Later that month the European Council
approve it, in November the European Parliament
followed suit and it was formally proclaimed by the leaders of the institutions of the European Union
on 7 December 2000 in Nice
.
The document did not gain legal force until 2009 when the Treaty of Lisbon
came into force with provisions to make the Charter, and the European Convention on Human Rights
on which it was based, legally binding.
Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union
The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union enshrines certain political, social, and economic rights for European Union citizens and residents, into EU law. It was drafted by the European Convention and solemnly proclaimed on 7 December 2000 by the European Parliament, the Council of...
. The convention was called in 1999 by the Cologne European Council to consolidate rights for EU citizens and enshrine them at EU level.
The meeting was composed of Members of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
, members of the national parliaments of the European Union
National parliaments of the European Union
The national parliaments of the European Union are those legislatures responsible for each member state of the European Union . They have a certain degree of institutionalised influence which was expanded under the Treaty of Lisbon to include greater ability to scrutinise proposed EU...
, representatives from European Union member state
Member State of the European Union
A member state of the European Union is a state that is party to treaties of the European Union and has thereby undertaken the privileges and obligations that EU membership entails. Unlike membership of an international organisation, being an EU member state places a country under binding laws in...
governments and a representative of the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
with observers from other EU institutions. The convention was chaired by Roman Herzog
Roman Herzog
Roman Herzog is a German politician as a member of the Christian Democratic Union, and served as President of Germany from 1994 to 1999...
.
It met for the first time in December 1999 and on 2 October 2000 it presented its draft document. Later that month the European Council
European Council
The European Council is an institution of the European Union. It comprises the heads of state or government of the EU member states, along with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, currently Herman Van Rompuy...
approve it, in November the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
followed suit and it was formally proclaimed by the leaders of the institutions of the European Union
Institutions of the European Union
The European Union is governed by seven institutions. Article 13 of Treaty on European Union lists them in the following order: the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European...
on 7 December 2000 in Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
.
The document did not gain legal force until 2009 when the Treaty of Lisbon
Treaty of Lisbon
The Treaty of Lisbon of 1668 was a peace treaty between Portugal and Spain, concluded at Lisbon on 13 February 1668, through the mediation of England, in which Spain recognized the sovereignty of Portugal's new ruling dynasty, the House of Braganza....
came into force with provisions to make the Charter, and the European Convention on Human Rights
European Convention on Human Rights
The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms is an international treaty to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe. Drafted in 1950 by the then newly formed Council of Europe, the convention entered into force on 3 September 1953...
on which it was based, legally binding.