In April 1987, the Irish Supreme Court upholds Raymond Crotty’s claim and challenges the ratification of the Single European Act. It appears that the ratification of any Community treaty containing at least one provision that fundamentally affects the legal nature, field of application or objectives of the Communities must give rise to a revision of the Irish Constitution, which requires a referendum.

On 6 November 2001, the Constitutional Committee of the Austrian Federal Council submits a report on the constitutional bill adopted by the National Council on 23 October authorising the ratification of the Treaty of Nice.

Extract of the full minutes of parliamentary debates in the French National Assembly during the third sitting of 5 June 2001 on the bill authorising ratification of the Treaty of Nice. In this extract, Pierre Moscovici, Minister with responsibility for European Affairs, notes that the ratification of the Treaty of Nice did not raise any problems of unconstitutionality and that referral to the Constitutional Council was therefore deemed unnecessary by the Council of Ministers.

Report dated 29 May 2001, drawn up on behalf of the Foreign Affairs Committee by MP Michel Vauzelle, on the bill authorising ratification by France of the Treaty of Nice.

Extract of the full minutes of parliamentary debates in the French National Assembly during the second sitting of 5 June 2001 on the bill authorising ratification of the Treaty of Nice.

Extract of the full minutes of parliamentary debates in the French National Assembly during the third sitting of 5 June 2001 on the bill authorising ratification of the Treaty of Nice.

On 5 June 2001, the day that the draft law for the ratification of the Treaty of Nice is submitted to the French National Assembly, Hubert Védrine, French Foreign Minister, outlines the strengths of the new European Treaty.

On 5 June 2001, the French daily newspaper Le Figaro outlines the various positions of the Members of the French National Assembly in the light of the issues involved in the ratification of the Treaty of Nice.

Extract of the full minutes of parliamentary debates in the French National Assembly during the second sitting of 12 June 2001 on the explanations of vote and the vote, by ballot, on the entire bill authorising ratification of the Treaty of Nice.

On 3 July 2001, the Luxembourg Council of State recommends that the Chamber of Deputies adopt the bill approving the Treaty of Nice.

On 9 May 2001, the members of the lower house of the Irish Parliament debate the possibility that the Irish people will vote against ratification of the Treaty of Nice in the referendum on 7 June. Points for discussion include the Irish Government’s effective distribution to citizens of information about the content and implications of the treaty.

On 11 June 2001, Michel Barnier, European Commissioner for Regional Policy and Institutional Reform, grants to the French daily newspaper Le Figaro an interview in which he comments on the refusal by the Irish to ratify the Treaty of Nice.

On 12 June 2001, commenting on the referendum on the ratification of the Treaty of Nice held in Ireland on 7 June, Bertie Ahern, Irish Prime Minister, expresses his disappointment at the country’s rejection of the Treaty in spite of his calls to approve it.

In a parliamentary question on 16 October 2001, Irish MP Jim O’Keeffe asks Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen about any proposals the government intends to put forward, four months after the negative referendum on the Treaty of Nice.

On 31 October 2001, the European Commission publishes a report by Professor Richard Sinnott from University College Dublin analysing the results of a survey on the attitudes and behaviour of the electorate in the referendum on the Treaty of Nice. In his report, Professor Sinnott identifies the main reason for the high rate of abstention as being the lack of information available to voters and their lack of understanding of the issues involved.

On 27 June 2002, the Irish Government presents the bill for the 26th amendment of the Irish Constitution to Parliament. These amendments to the Constitution are essential to enable Ireland to ratify the Treaty of Nice, in reference to the 1987 decision by the Supreme Court in the Crotty v. An Taoiseach case.

On 27 March 2002, Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen answers parliamentary questions on the future of the Treaty of Nice.

On 2 September 2002, in view of the second Irish referendum on the Treaty of Nice, Bertie Ahern, Irish Prime Minister, launches the Irish Government’s information campaign on the Treaty of Nice and the Seville Declarations.

On 20 October 2002, the day after the Irish referendum is held in Ireland on the Treaty of Nice, Bertie Ahern, Irish Prime Minister, welcomes the positive outcome of the vote.

This study, drafted by Peter Katz and published in the University of Pennsylvania’s Journal of International Economic Law in 2003, sheds light on the ratification process for the Treaty of Nice and the referendums held in Ireland in 2001 and 2002.