Opinion of the European Commission delivered on 17 September 2003 following adoption by the European Convention on 13 June and 10 July 2003 of the draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. The Commission considers that the draft should provide the basis for the work of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC), taking the view that the IGC's task should consist of improving, clarifying and finalising the draft Constitution.

On 24 September 2003, the European Parliament adopts a resolution on the draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe which sets out the European Parliament’s opinion on the convening of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC).

On 19 September 2003, the European Central Bank (ECB) delivers its opinion on the draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe with regard to the institutional amendments to monetary policy which it will entail.

At their meeting in Rome on 4 October 2004, on the occasion of the opening of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) to revise the Treaties, the Heads of State and of Government of Member Countries, of acceding countries and candidates to the European Union, the President of the European Parliament, the President of the European Commission, confirm the importance of the commitment to endow the European Union with a constitutional text and take up the Convention's Draft Treaty as a good basis for starting in the IGC.

On 4 October 2003, in Rome, the Heads of State or Government of the Fifteen and the ten EU applicant countries open the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) which is to lead to the adoption of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe in June 2004.

On 4 October 2003, at the extraordinary Summit for the opening of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) in Rome, Pat Cox, President of the European Parliament, calls for the work of the Convention on the Future of Europe to be respected.

Le 4 octobre 2003, dans un entretien accordé au quotidien La Libre Belgique, Guy Verhofstadt, Premier ministre et chef de la délégation belge, évoque son point de vue sur l'importance des travaux de la Conférence intergouvernementale (CIG), dont l'objectif est de mettre au point le texte final de la future Constitution européenne, destinée à modifier et à remplacer le contenu des traités existants.

On 4 October 2003, as the Intergovernmental Conference opens in Rome, the French daily newspaper Le Monde describes the climate of division and uncertainty with regard to the draft European Constitution among the 15 Member States of the European Union and the 10 countries which will officially accede to the European Union on 1 May 2004.

On 4 October 2003, as the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) opens in Rome, the German daily newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung looks ahead to the difficult debates surrounding the draft European Constitution.

On 4 October 2003, commenting on the opening of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) in Rome, the German daily newspaper Die Welt outlines the numerous difficulties which need to be overcome in order to establish a future European Constitution.

On 6 October 2003, commenting on the opening of the proceedings of the Intergovernmental Conference in Rome, the French daily newspaper Le Figaro reports on the atmosphere of heightened tension among the 25 European Heads of State or Government during consideration of the draft Constitutional Treaty.

On 19 November 2003, Elmar Brok, Lamberto Dini, Andrew Duff, Klaus Hänsch and Alain Lamassoure, members of the Convention on the Future of Europe, call on the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) to respect the draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe drawn up by the Convention.

On 24 November 2003, on the eve of the Conclave of European Union Foreign Ministers, held in Naples, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Austrian Foreign Minister, sets out Austria’s position on the work of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC).

In November 2003, Andrew Duff, European Parliament representative at the European Convention, outlines what is at stake for Member States and for the European Union institutions at the 2003–2004 Intergovernmental Conference (IGC).

On 25 November 2003, on the eve of the Conclave of Foreign Ministers held in Naples as part of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC), the Presidency of the Council of the European Union sends a note to each of the Delegations in which it reviews the work of the IGC.

On 28 November 2003, on the eve of the Conclave of Foreign Ministers held in Naples as part of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC), Lydie Polfer, the Luxembourg representative, outlines to the daily newspaper Luxemburger Wort the implications of the meeting and sets out her country's position.

On 9 December 2003, with a view to the Brussels European Council due to be held on 12 and 13 December 2003 and in the light of the difficulties experienced by the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) in securing a compromise on the European Constitution, the Belgian daily newspaper Le Soir outlines the three crisis scenarios for Europe.

On 11 December 2003, on the eve of the Brussels European Council, Joschka Fischer, German Foreign Minister and member of the Convention on the Future of Europe, emphasises to the Bundestag the importance of the Convention’s work and urges the participants to find a compromise on the European Constitution.

On 11 December 2003, the Luxembourg daily newspaper Luxemburger Wort speculates on whether the Brussels European Council, under an Italian Presidency, will be able to reach a political agreement on the draft European Constitutional Treaty and deplores the lack of European spirit during the work of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC).

The Brussels European Council, held under Italian Presidency on 12 and 13 December 2003, notes that it has not yet been possible for the Intergovernmental Conference (CIG) to reach an overall agreement on a draft constitutional treaty and requests the Irish Presidency on the basis of consultations to make an assessment on the prospects for progress.

At the Brussels European Council held on 12 and 13 December 2003, the Italian Presidency fails to secure a political agreement at the end of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the draft European Constitutional Treaty. From left to right: Pat Cox, President of the European Parliament, Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission, Silvio Berlusconi, Italian Prime Minister and President-in-Office of the Council, Franco Frattini, Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Gianfranco Fini, Italian Deputy Prime Minister.

On 13 December 2003, Tony Blair, British Prime Minister, holds a press conference during which he explains to British journalists the reasons why the Brussels European Council has been unable to reach an agreement on a future Constitution for Europe.

‘The weighting of votes.’ On 13 December 2003, the European Council meeting in Brussels is unable to reach agreement on a future Constitution for Europe. German cartoonist Mohr illustrates the intransigence of Spain and Poland over the reform of the qualified majority voting system and the mechanism by which the weighting of votes is determined. This situation is a source of irritation for France and Germany and for the President of the Convention on the Future of Europe, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing.

On 15 December 2003, the Belgian daily newspaper Le Soir analyses the reasons for the failure of the Brussels European Council and speculates on the future of the Constitutional Treaty.

On 15 December 2003, the German daily newspaper Die Welt comments on the failure of the Brussels European Council and speculates on how the European Union will operate in the future.

On 16 December 2003, Bertie Ahern, Irish Prime Minister, expresses his disappointment at the failure of the Brussels European Council, held on 12 and 13 December, while remaining confident at the chances of an agreement on the Constitutional Treaty being reached during the forthcoming Irish Presidency of the European Union.

On 17 December 2003, in an interview granted to the French daily newspaper Le Figaro, Danuta Hubner, Polish Minister for European Affairs, gives her views on the failure of the Brussels European Council and outlines the position adopted by Poland during the negotiations.

On 24 March 2004, the Presidency of the Council of the European Union forwards a report to the Brussels European Council, held on 25 and 26 March, in which it calls for the rapid conclusion of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC).

On 24 March 2004, on the eve of the Brussels European Council held on 25 and 26 March and in the light of the terrorist attacks in Madrid, Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission, forwards to Bertie Ahern, President-in-Office of the Council of the European Union, a letter in which he emphasises the need for the EU to adopt a Constitution in order to strengthen the links between its peoples.

Meeting as the European Council in Brussels on 25 and 26 March 2004, the Heads of State or Government discuss the economic, social and environmental situation of the European Union (EU) and the means to be implemented to achieve the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy.

On 21 July 2004, Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission, outlines to the European Parliament the achievements of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and emphasises the importance of the work of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) having been completed and an agreement having finally been reached on the draft European Constitution.

In August 2004, in an interview for the monthly legal journal Revue du Marché Commun et de l'Union Européenne, Pascale Andréani, Adviser on European Affairs to the French Prime Minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, outlines France's priorities with regard to the European Constitutional Treaty and the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC).

In this interview, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, President of the French Republic from 1974 to 1981 and Chairman of the Convention on the Future of Europe from December 2001 to July 2003, describes the influence on the work of the Convention of the planned Intergovernmental Conference (IGC); in June 2004, this IGC was to result in the adoption of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.

On 17 and 18 June 2004, the Brussels European Council welcomes the outcome of the work of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on the draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.

On 17 June 2004, at the Brussels European Council, the President of the French Republic, Jacques Chirac, outlines the progress made in the negotiations on the draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.

On 17 and 18 June 2004, in Brussels, the Heads of State or Government of the Twenty-Five adopt the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.

On 19 June 2004, the day after the Brussels European Council, Jacques Chirac, French President, emphasises the historic importance of the future Constitution for Europe.

Le 19 juin 2004, le quotidien français Le Figaro retrace les longues négociations en vue de l'adoption de la future Constitution européenne lors du Conseil européen de Bruxelles des 17 et 18 juin.

Le 19 juin 2004, après le Conseil européen de Bruxelles, le quotidien allemand Die Welt retrace les labourieuses et difficiles négociations en vue de la désignation du successeur de Romano Prodi à la présidence de la Commission européenne et insiste sur l'opposition britannique à la candidature du Premier ministre belge Guy Verhofstadt.

On 21 June 2004, Tony Blair, British Prime Minister, outlines to the House of Commons the substance of the draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe adopted at the Brussels European Council held on 17 and 18 June.

On 21 June 2004, the German daily newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung comments on the achievements of the Brussels European Council and discusses the importance of the draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe.

On 2 July 2004, in the Bundestag, Gerhard Schröder, German Chancellor, welcomes the work of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) and emphasises the importance of a European Constitution in the pursuit of European integration.

On 21 July 2004, Bertie Ahern, Irish Prime Minister and President-in-Office of the Council of the European Union, outlines to the European Parliament the outcome of the Brussels European Council held on 17 and 18 June 2004 and welcomes the achievements of the Irish Presidency.