The main points of the convention blueprint

1 "Reflecting the will of the citizens and states of Europe to build a common future, this Constitution establishes the European Union, on which the member states confer competences to attain objectives they have in common. The Union shall co-ordinate the policies by which the member states aim to achieve these objectives, and shall exercise in the Community way the competence they confer on it."

2 "The Union shall recognise the rights, freedoms and principles set out in the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which constitutes the second part of this Constitution."

3 "The Constitution, and law adopted by the Union's institutions in exercising competences conferred on it, shall have primacy over the law of the member states."

4 "The Union shall have competence to co-ordinate the economic and employment policies of the member states."

5 "Member states shall actively and unreservedly support the Union's common foreign and security policy in a spirit of loyalty and mutual solidarity and shall comply with the acts adopted by the Union in this area. They shall refrain from action contrary to the Union's interests or likely to undermine its effectiveness."

6 "Closer co-operation shall be established [between member states with the highest military capabilities]. If one member state in such co-operation is the victim of armed aggression on its territory, the other participating states shall give it aid and assistance by all the means in their power, military or other."

7 "The European Council shall elect its President, by qualified majority, for a term of two and a half years, renewable once. The person elected must be or have been for at least two years a member of the European Council [i.e. a Prime Minister of one of the member states]."

8 "The European Council, by qualified majority with the agreement of the Commission President, shall appoint the Union's Foreign Minister.î

9 "Any member state may decide to withdraw from the EU in accordance with its own constitutional requirements."