EU constitution: what the latest changes are

Yesterday's draft represents a significant retreat from controversial proposals introduced by Mr Valery Giscard d'Estaing last…

Yesterday's draft represents a significant retreat from controversial proposals introduced by Mr Valery Giscard d'Estaing last month.

European Commission then: A Commission of 15 members, no longer including one representative from each member-state.

Now: Every member-state nominates a commissioner but only 15 can vote. Voting rights to rotate every five years on an equal basis among all member-states.

European Council President then: Appointed for a term of two and a half years, renewable once. Candidate must have been an EU leader for at least two years and may not hold any other national mandate or be a member of another EU institution.

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Now: Same term of office but candidate must no longer be a former EU leader and although he or she may not hold a national mandate, can be a member of another EU institution.

European Parliament then: Membership capped at 700.

Now: Membership capped at 732 with the division of seats as agreed at Nice.

Qualified Majority Voting then: Defined as a majority of member-states representing 60 per cent of the EU population.

Now: New definition comes into force in 2009 unless EU leaders decide to postpone its introduction for a further three years. Until then, vote weighting agreed at Nice will apply. From 2009, a super qualified majority of two-thirds of the member-states representing 60 per cent of the EU population will apply to some sensitive issues.

God then: God and Christianity not mentioned in the constitution but preamble cites Europe's cultural, religious and humanist inheritance, the civilisations of Greece and Rome and the Enlightenment.

Now: God and Christianity still not mentioned but references to Greece, Rome and the Enlightenment are dropped.