The European Constitution, which is being ratified, completes the process of reforming the Union. When the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe enters into force, it will repeal and replace the Treaty of Nice. The Community has sole jurisdiction over the common trade policy (Article 133 of the EC Treaty, former Article 113). As part of this policy, a customs union has been established between the Member States of the Community, with uniform principles for tariff modification, the conclusion of tariff and trade agreements with third countries, import and export policy, etc. Decisions are taken in the Council by qualified majority. c) Agreements on regional integration systems: regional integration programmes are based on general framework agreements of a constitutional nature. International instruments that later modify this framework (for example. B memberships, revisions) are also called „treaties.“ Instruments concluded under the Constitutional Treaty or by the bodies of the regional organization are generally referred to as „agreements“ to distinguish them from the Constitutional Treaty. Whereas, for example, the 1957 Treaty of Rome serves as a quasi-constitution of the European Community, the treaties concluded by the EC with other nations are generally referred to as agreements. The Latin American Integration Association (LAIA) was also created by the 1980 Montevideo Treaty, but the sub-regional instruments concluded under it are called agreements. The Community acquis therefore encompasses not only Community law stricto sensu, but also all acts adopted within the framework of the second and third pillars of the European Union, as well as the common objectives defined by the treaties. The Union is committed to maintaining and developing the Community acquis as a whole.
Candidate countries must accept the EU acquis before joining the Union. Derogations are granted only in exceptional cases and their scope is limited. In order to be integrated into the European Union, candidate countries must transpose the acquis into their national legislation and implement it from the date of their accession. The European Constitution, which is currently being ratified, also provides for a strengthening of Parliament`s powers as a co-legislator. The codecision procedure should be extended to new areas and Parliament should be given equal budgetary decision-making powers with the Council. From 2009 on, the number of MEPs in the European Parliament may not exceed 750. The term „authentication“ refers to the procedure by which the text of a contract is defined as binding and final. Once a treaty is authenticated, states cannot unilaterally change their provisions. If states that have negotiated a particular contract do not agree on specific authentication procedures, a contract is generally authenticated by signature, ad referendum signature or by paraphification by the representatives of those states.