European Communities (Amendment) Act 2002
European Communities (Amendment)Act 2002
2002 CHAPTER 3
An Act to make provision consequential on the Treaty signed at Nice on 26th February 2001 amending the Treaty on European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related Acts.
[26th February 2002]
Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
1 Incorporation of provisions of the Treaty of Nice
(1) In section 1(2) of the European Communities Act 1972 (c. 68), in the definition of ‘the Treaties’ and ‘the Community Treaties’, after paragraph (o) there shall be inserted ‘and
(p) the following provisions of the Treaty signed at Nice on 26th February 2001 amending the Treaty on European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related Acts—
(i) Articles 2 to 10, and
(ii) the other provisions of the Treaty so far as they relate to those Articles,
and the Protocols adopted on that occasion;’.
(2) Her Majesty may by Order in Council amend the definition referred to in subsection (1) so as to add to it provisions adopted by the Council of the European Communities under Article 229a of the Treaty establishing the European Community (provisions conferring jurisdiction on the European Court in connection with Community industrial property rights).
(3) No recommendation may be made to Her Majesty to make an Order in Council under subsection (2) unless a draft of the Order has been laid before and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.
2 References to the European Court etc
In Part 2 of Schedule 1 to the European Communities Act 1972 (c. 68) (definitions relating to Communities), at the end of the definition of ‘European Court’ there shall be added ‘or the Court of First Instance, and any reference to a court attached to the European Court is a reference to a judicial panel attached to the Court of First Instance’.
3 Approval of increase in powers of European Parliament
For the purpose of section 6 of the European Parliamentary Elections Act 1978 (c. 10) (approval of treaties increasing the Parliament's powers) the Treaty signed at Nice on 26th February 2001 amending the Treaty on European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related Acts is approved.
4 Short title
This Act may be cited as theEuropean Communities (Amendment) Act 2002.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
INTRODUCTION
1. These Explanatory Notes relate to the European Communities (Amendment) Act which received Royal Assent on 26 February 2002. They have been prepared by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in order to assist the reader in understanding the Act. They do not form part of the Act and have not been endorsed by Parliament.
2. The notes need to be read in conjunction with the Act. They are not, and are not meant to be, a comprehensive description of the Act.
BACKGROUND
3. The Treaty of Nice reforms the institutions of the European Union (the EU) to enable the EU to operate effectively after the accession of the applicant Member States. The key institutional changes include:
· changes to the size and organisation of the College of Commissioners;
· revision of the current system of weighted votes in the Council;
· extension of qualified majority voting in the Council and co-decision with the European Parliament;
· changes to the procedures set out in the...
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