PROCEDURE
On
31 December 1997, the Constitutional Council declared in its response
to the inquiry of the government, that the ratification of the Amsterdam
Treaty required a revision of Art. 88 of the constitution, concerning
the relation between France and the EC/EU. Hence the government
introduced a constitutional amendment to Art. 88. On 1 December
1998, the Assemblée Nationale approved the amendment (469
for, 66 against), and
on 27 December the Senate followed (240 for, 34 against). Then,
the president convoked the joint session of both chambers, which
approved the amendment on 18 January 1999 with the necessary 3/5
majority.
According to Art. 53 of the constitution, treaties concerning the
international order have to be ratified by law. The regular ratification
process started with the government introducing the ratification
bill into the Assemblée Nationale on 3 February 1999 (Projet
de Loi No. 1365). According to the standard legislative procedure,
both chambers are required to approve with an absolute majority.
On 3 March, the Assemblée Nationale gave its assent (447
for, 75 against), and on 16 March the Senate followed (271 for,
42
against). According to Art. 52 of the constitution the president
ratifies international treaties by signing the respective bill.
In accordance with Art. 11, the president has the right to submit
ratification bills to a referendum. Contrary to the Maastricht Treaty,
the president renounced to consider this option. He signed the law,
which came into force following its publication on 25 March (Loi
99-229, Le Journal Officiel - Lois et decrets No. 71, 25.3.1999).
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