EU ENLARGEMENT AND THE
CONSTITUTIONS OF CENTRAL AND
EASTERN EUROPE
In the wake of the EU’s greatest enlargement, this book explores the
adaptation of the constitutions of Central and Eastern Europe for mem-
bership in the European Union. In response to the painful past, these new
constitutions werenotably closedto the transfer of powers to international
organisations, and accorded a prominent status to sovereignty and inde-
pendence. A little more than a decade later, the process of amending these
provisions in view of the transfer of sovereign powers to a supranational
organisation has proved a sensitive and controversial exercise. This book
analyses the amendments against the background of comparative experi-
ence and theory of sovereignty, as well as the context of political sensi-
tivities, such as rising euroscepticism ahead of accession referendums. It
concludes with a broader inquiry into the role and rationale of the national
constitutionsintheprocessofEuropeanintegration.Thebookalsocon-
siders the implications of the European Constitution, in the framework of
the debate on European constitutionalism and post-national governance.
anneli albi is a lecturer in European Law at the University of Kent.
She obtained her Ph.D at the European University Institute in Florence,
where her research focused on the adaptation of Central and Eastern Euro-
pean constitutions for EU membership. In 2003–04, she was a General
Rapporteur of the Asser Institute and the Netherlands Foreign Ministry
MATRA multicountry project ‘The Impact of Accession on the National
Legal OrdersofCandidate Countries’.
CAMBRIDGE STUDIES IN EUROPEAN LAW
AND POLICY
This series aims to produce original works which contain a critical analysis of the state
of the law in particular areas of European Law and set out different perspectives and
suggestions for its future development. It also aims to encourage a range ofworkonlaw,

Aberdeen and EUI, Fiesole.
Books intheseries
EU Enlargement and the Constitutions of Central and Eastern Europe
Anneli Albi
Market Freedom and Social Rights in the European Economic Constitution
Stefano Giubboni
EU ENLARGEMENT AND
THE CONSTITUTIONS OF
CENTRAL AND
EASTERN EUROPE
ANNELI ALBI
University of Kent
cambridge university press
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo
Cambridge University Press
The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge cb2 2ru,UK
First published in print format
isbn-13 978-0-521-84541-0
isbn-13 978-0-521-60736-0
isbn-13 978-0-511-12605-5
© Cambridge University Press 2005
2005
Informationonthistitle:www.cambrid
g
e.or
g
/9780521845410
This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of
relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place
without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.

Tr ansfer of sovereign powers: main models 9
Other EU amendments 14
3Some idiosyncrasies of CEE constitutions 18
Constitutional history of CEE countries 18
Prominence of the constitutions in CEE legal orders 22
‘Souverainist’ character 24
4Constitutional issues in the pre-accession period 36
Europe Agreements in CEE legal orders 36
Extent of harmonisation and adoption of EU obligations 44
Judicial harmonisation 52
Pre-accession adaptations in the light of sovereignty and legitimacy 56
Issues of democratic deficit in the pre-accession adaptations 61
5Revision of CEE constitutions for EU membership 67
Wider package of EU amendments 67
Slovakia 67
Czech Republic 70
Slovenia 72
Some common observations 75
v
vi contents
Medium package of EU amendments 78
Poland 78
Hungary 82
Minimal EU amendments 87
Estonia 88
Latvia 94
Lithuania 98
Developments in Romania and Bulgaria 103
Romania 103
Bulgaria 107

of European integration 206
Bibliography 211
Appendix 232
Index 248
TABLES
3.1 Adoption of new constitutions page 23
3.2 Provisions on sovereignty and independence and their
safeguards 26
7.1 Minimum turnout requirements in CEE referendums 140
7.2 Referendums in CEE (other than EU referendums) 142
7.3 Public support for joining the EU 147
7.4 EU accession referendums 150
A1 Constitutional amendment procedures 232
A2 Amendments of the CEE constitutions (other than those
pertaining to EU accession) 235
A3 EU provisions and application of international law in Slovakian
Constitution 238
A4 EU provisions and application of international law in Czech
Constitution 240
A5 EU provisions and application of international law in Slovenian
Constitution 241
A6 EU provisions and application of international law in Polish
Constitution 242
A7 EU provisions and application of international law in Hungarian
Constitution 243
A8 EU provisions and application of international law in Estonian
Constitution 243
A9 EU provisions and application of international law in Latvian
Constitution 244
A10 EU provisions and application of international law in Lithuanian

responds amply to the series’ aims, namely to produce original works in
English which contain a critical analysis of the state of the law in a partic-
ular area of European Law understood in its widest sense and set out the
perspectives and suggestions for its future development, and to encourage
arangeofworkonlaw,legalinstitutions and legal phenomena in Europe,
including ‘law in context’ work as well as more doctrinally focused expos-
itory work. Of critical importance to Albi’s study are the key political
ix
x series editors’ preface
markers of sovereignty and democracy, in the latter case in the form of
the referendums which were held on accession in each of the new Member
States. Albi’s approach – like many on the EU – is to treat it as a sui generis
polity, which cannot simply be assimilated to national or international
models. However, the interest of the book lies in the unavoidable chal-
lenge of statist concepts and ideas, and whether they continue to have an
important role to play in post-enlargement Europe and in an increasingly
globalised and interconnected world.
Laurence Gormley
Jo Shaw
4March2005
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Iamgrateful to the publishers for their kind permission to incorporate
material from the following articles:
Hart Publishing Ltd for sections from A. Albi, ‘Post-modern Versus
Retrospective Sovereignty: Two Different Sovereignty Discourses in the
EU andCandidate Countries?’ inN. Walker (ed.), Sovereignty in Transition
(Hart, Oxford, 2003), pp. 401–22, and A. Albi, ‘Referendums in the CEE
Candidate Countries: Impact on EU Treaty Amendment Procedure’ in
C. Hillion (ed.), EU Enlargement: A Legal Approach (Hart, Oxford, 2004),
pp. 57–76.

Case C-235/99, Kondova [2001] ECR I-6437 37
Case C-257/99, Barkoci and Malik [2001] ECR I-6557 37
Case C-268/99, Jany [2001] ECR I-8615 37, 39
Case C-353/99, Hautala, Opinion of Advocate-General Leger of 10 July 2001, [2001]
ECR I-9565 188
Joined Cases C-20 and 64/00, Booker Aquaculture and Hydro Seafood, Opinion of
Advocate-General Mischo of 20 September 2001, [2003] ECR I-7411 188
Case C-162/00, Pokrzeptowicz-Meyer [2002] ECR I-1049 37, 39
xii
table ofcases xiii
Permanent Court of International Justice
S.S. Wimbledon, PCIJ Ser. A. No. 1 (1923) 25 9
Bulgaria
Constitutional Court Decision No. 7, 2 July 1992, on the interpretation of articles
85(3) and 148(1.4) of the Constitution, Durzhaven Vestnik 56/92 44, 109, 172
Constitutional Court Decision No. 5/99, 22 April 1999, on the passage of NATO
aircraft, summary in English at www.infotel.bg/juen/resh/summaries99.htm
167
Constitutional Court Decision No. 6/99, 3 May 1999, on the Agreement between
Bulgaria and NATO regarding Transit of NATO Aircraft, summary at
www.infotel.bg/juen/resh/summaries99.htm 167
Constitutional Court Decision No. 8/99, 16 June 1999, on Cooperation Agreement
with Turkey in Energy Sector, summary in English at www.infotel.bg/juen/resh/
summaries99.htm 173
Constitutional Court Decision of February 2003, on authorisation for fulfilling
obligations under NATO 167
Constitutional Court Decision of 10 April 2003, on the mode of constitutional
amendment 108
Czech Republic
Constitutional Court, Decision No. 19/93, on Lawlessness of the Communist Regime

Constitutional Court, Resolution No. 2/1993 (I.22), (1996) 3 East European Case
Reporter of Constitutional Law 26 117
Constitutional Court, Decision No. 4/1997 (I.22) AB (ABH 1997, 41) 173
Constitutional Court, Decision No. 52/1997, on referendums, reproduced in
L. Solym and G. Brunner (eds), Constitutional Judiciary in a New Democracy:
The Hungarian Constitutional Court (Michigan University Press, 2000),
pp. 371–8 158
Constitutional Court, Decision No. 30/1998, on the Europe Agreement (VI 25) AB,
Magyar K
¨
ozl
¨
ony 56, 172, 173
Constitutional Court, Decision of 23 September 2003, on referendum on sale of land
to foreigners 158
Supreme Court, Decision of 26 March 2003, on EUaccession referendum
156
table ofcases xv
Ireland
Supreme Court, Crotty v. An Taoiseach [1997] IR 713 11
Italy
Constitutional Court, Frontini,Decision No. 183, 1973 170
Constitutional Court, Granital,Decision No. 170, 1984 170
Latvia
Constitutional Court, Decision No. 04-02(99) of 6 July 1999 172
Constitutional Court, Dissenting Opinions of Justices A. Endzins, J. Jelagins and
A. Usacka in Case No. 2000-03-01, on compatibility of the Saeima Election Law
with the Constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights 55
Constitutional Court, Decision No. 2001-04-0103, 21 December 2001, on spelling

39/97 Wokanda 1998/9/48, on Antimonopoly Office 43
High Administrative Court, Case NSA I SA/Ld 777/97. 1999.09.09 wyrok NSA I SA/Ld
777/97 Pr.Gosp. 1999/I/40, on customs tax 43
Supreme Court, Case SN N I CKN 1217/98, 2001.05.29 wyrok SN N I CKN 1217/98
OSNAP 2002/1/13, on Polish Bar 42, 53
High Administrative Court, Case NSA I SA/Po 3057/98. 1999.12.29 wyrok NSA
UNISA/Po3057/98 ONSA 2001/1/34, on Protocol No. 4 of the Europe
Agreement 42, 43
Constitutional Tribunal, Case K.27/99,2000.03.28wyrokTKUK27/99OTK
2000/2/62, on different retirement age for men and women 53
Constitutional Tribunal, Decision of 27 May 2003, on referendum turnout 152
Romania
Constitutional Court, Decision No. 356, September 2003 107
Constitutional Court, Decision of 23 October 2003, on constitutional amendment
referendum 156
Slovakia
Constitutional Court, Decision No. 26/97, II. US 31/97, summary in English at
www.concourt.sk/A/a.index.htm
Constitutional Court, Decision No. 95/99, on the Protection of the Right Guaranteed
by an International Treaty, II. US 91/99, summary in English at
www.concourt.sk/A/a.index.htm 172
Slovenia
Constitutional Court, Decision No. RM-1/97, 5 June 1997, Uradni list RS, No. 40/97,
on Europe Agreement, in English at www.us-rs.si/en 73, 74, 116, 172, 173
TREATIES, LAWS AND OTHER
INSTRUMENTS
European Union
Accession Partnerships 9, 45–6, 48, 50
Agenda 2000: For a Stronger and Wider Union 7, 45, 46, 47, 50, 109
Agreement of the European Economic Area 48, 52, 60, 66

art. 33 191
art. 46(4) 192
art. 59 193
art. III-175 191
art. III-197 191
art. III-213 191
Europe Agreements
Bulgaria 7, 36
art. 45 37
Czech Republic 7, 36, 51
art. 64 54
art. 69 45
Estonia 7, 36
Preamble 51
art. 10 40
art. 11 40
art. 12 40
art. 13 40
art. 14 40
art. 37 40
art. 38 40
art. 51 39
art. 63(5) 58
art. 64 40
art. 65 58
Hungary 7, 36, 51
art. 62(2) 56, 58
Latvia 7, 36
Lithuania 7, 36
art. 69 45

art. 19(1) 15
art. 39 55
art. 52 37, 39
art. 81(1) 53
art. 82 54
European Parliament’s Resolution of 1997 on the Abolition of the Death Penalty 54
Framework decision on the European Arrest Warrant 75, 93
Laeken Declaration 179
Protocol on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality 194
Protocol on the role of national Parliaments in the European Union 194
Provisional Consolidated Version of the Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe
(CIG 86/04, 25 June 2004) 180
Treaty of Amsterdam 177, 186, 188–9, 196
Treaty of Nice 7, 179, 188–9, 196
Treaty of t heEuropean Union (Maastricht Treaty) 9, 15, 183–5, 188–9, 196
art. 48 159, 193, 199, 208
art. O 6
Protocol 17 177
xx table of treaties, laws and other instruments
White Paper, Preparation of the Associated Countries of Central and Eastern Europe for
Integration into the Internal Market of the Union6, 45, 48
International treaties and instruments
European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms 1950 169
North Atlantic Treaty 163–8
Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 172
Constitutions
Austria 10, 11, 14, 25
art. 10(1) 16
art. 23 11
art. 23a 14

art. 58(1) 110
art. 65(1) 110
art. 84 167
art. 84(1) 167
art. 84(p5) 144
art. 85 32
art. 85(1) 109
art. 85(2) 173, 247
art. 85(3) 44, 109, 172
art. 93(2) 110
art. 149(1.4) 44, 109, 172
art. 149(4) 110
art. 150 110
Czech Republic 21, 31, 33, 34
Preamble 27–8
art. 1 27–8, 128
art. 1(2) 71, 240
art. 2(1) 27–8
art. 9 144
art. 9(2) 27–8
art. 10 71
art. 10a 71, 72
art. 10a(1) 72, 240
art. 10a(2) 71, 72, 156, 240
art. 10a(3) 72
art. 10b 72
art. 10b(1) 240
art. 10b(2) 240
art. 10b(3) 240
art. 14(4) 77

art. 105(2) 146
art. 106 146
art. 111 88
art. 121 32, 168
art. 123 89, 243
art. 123(1) 88, 171
art. 128 168
art. 152 171
art. 156 93
art. 161 92
art. 162 88, 92, 145
art. 163 92
art. 168 146
Finland 10, 12
art. 1 12
art. 2 12
art. 50(3) 14
art. 93 16
art. 93(2) 14
table of treaties, laws and other instruments xxiii
art. 96 14
art. 97 14
France 10, 11, 17, 25
Preamble 13
art. 3 15
art. 88(1) 11, 13
art. 88(2) 15
art. 88(3) 14
art. 88(4) 14
Germany 10, 11, 25

xxiv table of treaties, laws and other instruments
art. 28C(1) 141
art. 28C(3) 141
art. 28C(4) 141
art. 28C(5) 141
art. 32D(1) 85
art. 40B 164
art. 40C 164
art. 51(1) 27
art. 68(1) 27
art. 70(4) 86
art. 70E(1) 86
art. 77(1) 171
Ireland 10
Preamble 29
art. 5 29
art. 29(4) 11, 16
Italy 10, 12, 25
art. 11 12
art. 117 12
Latvia 22, 34
art. 1 26, 87, 94, 95, 136
art. 2 26, 87, 94, 95, 132
art. 3
art. 4 96
art. 6
art. 8 97
art. 68 95
art. 68(2) 244
art. 72 145