The 18th plenary session of the Convention opened on 24 April with the presentation of the drafts of the articles of the future European Constitution on the Union’s institutions (15 articles) and on common foreign policy and security (3 articles). The European Council is raised to the status of Institution (art. 14). Provision is made for the election of a President of the European Council for a term of office of two and a half years, renewable once, without real executive powers, but responsible for the organization and conducting of Summits. The new institutional role of EU Foreign Minister, vice-president of the Commission, is also confirmed (art. 19); he would permanently chair the Foreign Affairs Council, though remaining subordinate to the Council as regards the purely diplomatic activities of the formulation and conduct of foreign policy. In addition, the President of the Commission would be elected by qualified majority vote of the EP, on the proposal of the Commission, based on the results of the European elections. As regards common foreign and security policy and common security and defence policy, the relevant articles 29 and 30 intend to incorporate in the future European Constitution the juridical foundations to enable the European Council to adopt decisions on foreign and defence policy at the political level. Provision is also made for a solidarity clause to “mobilize all the instruments at its disposal to prevent the terrorist threat”. The other chapters discussed include article 37 on the status of the Churches and religious Communities, which seems now to enjoy broad consensus, though the question of the possible reference to God or to the religions in the Preamble of the future European Constitution still remains open.
