In this article we seek to show that treaty reform is best seen as a process, and that we are witnessing a process of constitutionalization. While the European Commission's impact on the Maastricht Treaty was fairly limited, particularly concerning Political Union issues, we conclude that the Commission's impact on the Amstrerdam Treaty has been considerable. In fact, such an impact is not surprising given the Commission's technical expertise and its close cooperation with both the Council Secretariat and the Presidency of the Council. In this way, the article contributes to criticism of intergovernmental approaches to European integration. Conceptual tools can help unravel this complexity.
Policy networks capture the interplay betwen various actors and institutions.
Each has strategies and strives for its own interests. Coalitions are also a key element in explaining the process and outcomes of the CAP reform and the agricultural negotiations in the Uruguay Round. IGC marked an important stage in the process of creating an ever closer union among the states of Europe. The IGC had a distinctive mandate and objective, but its agenda, it will be argued, was permeable and both affected and was affected by the agenda of the EU's ongoing business. This article puts the 1996 IGC in context, examines its contribution to EU constitution-building, scrutinizes the nature, actors and characteristics of EU and IGC negotiating processes, and examines factors that make for successful negotiated outcomes.