Alternative to the EU Constitution

The cover of the book "From Constitution to Lisbon Treaty." (Photo: www.bonde.com)

Alternative to the EU Constitution

The inter-group SOS Democracy in the European Parliament put forward an alternative to the proposed EU Constitution in 2004. The first draft had 15 points and was presented as a minority opinion of the Convention drawing up the propsosed EU Constitution. 

After the referendums on the constitutional proposal in France and the Netherlands on 29 May and 1 June 2005, which rejected the Constitution, the group put forward a seven-point alternative. 

Jens-Peter Bonde, Danish MEP, presented a discussion paper outlining a concept under which all the existing Treaties would be recast into a cooperation agreement comprising only 47 articles. This was published in his book "From EU Constitution to Lisbon Treaty". 

The SOS Democracy group sent eight suggested amendments to the intergovernmental conference revising the EU Constitution in 2007, which led toi the Treaty of Lisbon .