A further objective of this article is to highlight the importance attached to the manner in which these texts are drafted. This is a particularly important point as the very structure of a text is often as crucial a negotiating point as the issues that are contained within it. The importance of law to the working of the EU is highlighted by the basing of legal advisers within member states permanent representations and the close interaction between domestic legal advisers and EU negotiators. Indeed, when an official is appointed to a permanent representation, their first and most important task is to obtain a detailed understanding of the EU Treaties. Such officials are based in virtually all government departments, such as Agriculture, Employment, Industry and the Treasury, as well as the Foreign Office.
Individual expertise dictates devolved responsibility.
Nevertheless, those legal advisers based in the Foreign Office and the permanent representation do play a particularly important role during times of major policy discussions. This obviously includes European Council meetings, intergovernmental conference negotiations and broader institutional questions that encompass numerous policy areas. During that negotiation, Britain advocated primarily negative points as it was against an expansion in the growth of policy areas that fell under EU competency. This of course, reflected the traditional British hesitancy to fully commit to Europe and represented the desire for policy issues to be conducted at a national level. It was, for instance, opposed to the development of a single currency, the creation of a common defence policy and the inclusion of a social chapter within the Treaty.