EUROPEAN UNION TREATY OF AMSTERDAM TREATY OF AMSTERDAM AMENDING THE TREATY ON EUROPEAN UNION, THE TREATIES ESTABLISHING THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND CERTAIN RELATED ACTS INTRODUCTORY NOTE This publication reproduces the text of the Treaty of Amsterdam amending the Treaty on European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related aas, as signed in Amsterdam on 2 October 1997. The text has been produced for documentary purposes and does not involve the responsibility of the institutions A great deal of additional information on the European Union is available on the Internet. It can be accessed through the Europa server (http://europa.eu.int) Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1997 ISBN 92-828-1652-4 © European Communities, 1997 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged Printed in Germany CONTENTS (not part of the Treaty) Page PART ONE — SUBSTANTIVE AMENDMENTS Articles 1-5 7 PART TWO — SIMPLIFICATION Articles 6-11 58 PART THREE — GENERAL AND FINAL PROVISIONS· Articles 12-15 78 ANNEX — Tables of equivalences referred to in Article 12 of the Treaty of Amsterdam 85 PROTOCOLS A. Protocol annexed to the Treaty on European Union 92 — Protocol on Article J.7 of the Treaty on European Union 92 B. Protocols annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty establishing the European Community 93 — Protocol integrating the Schengen acquis into the framework of the European Union 93 — Protocol on the application of certain aspects of Article 7a of the Treaty estab lishing the European Community to the United Kingdom and to Ireland 97 — Protocol on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland 99 — Protocol on the position of Denmark 101 C. Protocols annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community 103 — Protocol on asylum for nationals of Member States of the European Union ... 103 — Protocol on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality 105 — Protocol on external relations of the Member States with regard to the crossing of external borders 108 — Protocol on the system of public broadcasting in the Member States 109 — Protocol on protection and welfare of animals 110 D. Protocols annexed to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaties establishing the European Community, the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Atomic Energy Community Ill — Protocol on the institutions with the prospect, of enlargement of the European Union Ill — Protocol on the location of the seats of the institutions and of certain bodies and departments of the European Communities and of Europol 112 — Protocol on the role of national parliaments in the European Union 113 FINAL ACT 115 DECLARATIONS ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE 125 1. Declaration on the abolition of the death penalty 125 2. Declaration on enhanced cooperation between the European Union and the Western European Union 125 3. Declaration relating to Western European Union 125 4. Declaration on Articles J. 14 and K.10 of the Treaty on European Union 131 5. Declaration on Article J.15 of the Treaty on European Union 132 6. Declaration on the establishment of a policy planning and early warning unit .... 132 7. Declaration on Article K.2 of the Treaty on European Union 132 8. Declaration on Article K.3(e) of the Treaty on European Union 133 9. Declaration on Article K.6(2) of the Treaty on European Union 133 10. Declaration on Article K.7 of the Treaty on European Union 133 11. Declaration on the status of churches and non-confessional organisations 133 12. Declaration on environmental impact assessments .' 133 13. Declaration on Article 7d of the Treaty establishing the European Community ... 133 14. Declaration on the repeal of Article 44 of the Treaty establishing the European Community 134 15. Declaration on the preservation of the level of protection and security provided by the Schengen acquis 134 16. Declaration on Article 73j(2)(b) of the Treaty establishing the European Community 134 17. Declaration on Article 73k of the Treaty establishing the European Community 134 18. Declaration on Article 73k(3)(a) of the Treaty establishing the European Community 134 19. Declaration on Article 731(1) of the Treaty establishing the European Community 134 20. Declaration on Article 73m of the Treaty establishing the European Community 135 21. Declaration on Article 73o of the Treaty establishing the European Community ... 135 22. Declaration regarding persons with a disability 135 23. Declaration on incentive measures referred to in Article 109r of the Treaty estab lishing the European Community 135 24. Declaration on Article 109r of the Treaty establishing the European Community 135 25. Declaration on Article 118 of the Treaty establishing the European Community ... 135 26. Declaration on Article 118(2) of the Treaty establishing the European Community 136 27. Declaration on Article 118b(2) of the Treaty establishing the European Community 136 28. Declaration on Article 119(4) of the Treaty establishing the European Community 136 29. Declaration on sport 136 30. Declaration on island regions 136 31. Declaration relating to the Council Decision of 13 July 1987 137 32. Declaration on the organisation and functioning of the Commission 137 33. Declaration on Article 188c(3) of the Treaty establishing the European Community 137 34. Declaration on respect for time limits under the co-decision procedure 137 35. Declaration on Article 191a(l) of the Treaty establishing the European Community 137 36. Declaration on the Overseas Countries and Territories 138 37. Declaration on public credit institutions in Germany 138 38. Declaration on voluntary service activities 139 39. Declaration on the quality of the drafting of Community legislation 139 40. Declaration concerning the procedure for concluding international agreements by the European Coal and Steel Community 139 41. Declaration on the provisions relating to transparency, access to documents and the fight against fraud 140 42. Declaration on the consolidation of the Treaties ¡ 140 43. Declaration relating to the Protocol on the application of the principles of sub sidiarity and proportionality 140 44. Declaration on Article 2 of the Protocol integrating the Schengen acquis into the framework of the European Union ^ 140 45. Declaration on Article 4 of the Protocol integrating the Schengen acquis into the framework of the European Union 140 46. Declaration on Article 5 of the Protocol integrating the Schengen acquis into the framework of the European Union 141 47. Declaration on Article 6 of the Protocol integrating the Schengen acquis into the framework of the European Union 141 48. Declaration relating to the Protocol on asylum for nationals of Member States of the European Union 141 49. Declaration relating to subparagraph (d) of the Sole Article of the Protocol on asylum for nationals of Member States of the European Union 141 50. Declaration relating to the Protocol on the institutions with the prospect of enlargement of the European Union 142 51. Declaration on Article 10 of the Treaty of Amsterdam 142 DECLARATIONS OF WHICH THE CONFERENCE TOOK NOTE 143 1. Declaration by Austria and Luxembourg on credit institutions 143 2. Declaration by Denmark on Article K.14 of the Treaty on European Union 143 3. Declaration by Germany, Austria and Belgium on subsidiarity 143 4. Declaration by Ireland on Article 3 of the Protocol on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland 143 5. Declaration by Belgium on the Protocol on asylum for nationals of Member States of the European Union 144 6. Declaration by Belgium, France and Italy on the Protocol on the institutions with the prospect of enlargement of the European Union 144 7. Declaration by France concerning the situation oPthe overseas departments in the light of the Protocol integrating the Schengen acquis into the framework of the European Union 144 8. Declaration by Greece concerning the Declaration on the status of churches and non-confessional organisations 144 HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF THE BELGIANS, HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF DENMARK, THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, THE PRESIDENT OF THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC, HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF SPAIN, THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, THE COMMISSION AUTHORISED BY ARTICLE 14 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF IRELAND TO EXERCISE AND PERFORM THE POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE PRESIDENT OF IRELAND, THE PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC, HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUKE OF LUXEMBOURG, HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF THE NETHERLANDS, THE FEDERAL PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF AUSTRIA, THE PRESIDENT OF THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC, THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF FINLAND, HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF SWEDEN, HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND, HAVE RESOLVED to amend the Treaty on European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related acts, and to this end have designated as their Plenipotentiaries: HIS MAJESTY THE KING OF THE BELGIANS: Mr. Erik Derycke, Minister for Foreign Affairs; HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN OF DENMARK: Mr. Niels Helveg Petersen, Minister for Foreign Affairs; THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY: Dr. Klaus Kinkel, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs and Deputy Federal Chancellor; THE PRESIDENT OF THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC: Mr. Theodoros Pángalos, Minister for Foreign Affairs; HIS MAJESTY THE KING.OF SPAIN: Mr. Juan Abel Matutes, Minister for Foreign Affairs; THE PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC: Mr. Hubert Védrine, Minister for Foreign Affairs;