THE following are edited extacts from the constitution:

Article 1.1: Establishment of the Union

1. Reflecting the will of the citizens and States of Europe to build a common future, this constitution establishes the European Union, on which the member states confer competences to attain objectives they have in common. The Union shall co-ordinate the policies by which the member states aim to achieve these objectives.

2. The Union shall be open to all European states which respect its values and are committed to promoting them.

Article 1.5: Relations between the Union and the member states.

1. The Union shall respect the national identities of its member states, inherent in their fundamental structures, political and constitutional, including for regional and local self-government. It shall respect their essential state functions, including for ensuring the territorial integrity of the State, and for maintaining law and order and safeguarding internal security.

Article 1.11: Categories of Competence

3. The Union shall have competence to co-ordinate the economic and employment policies of the member states.

4. The Union shall have competence to define and implement a common foreign and security policy, including the progressive framing of a common defence policy.

Article 1.14: The co-ordination of economic and employment policies

1. The Union shall adopt measures to ensure co-ordination of the economic policies of the member states, in particular by adopting broad guidelines for these policies. The member states shall co-ordinate their economic policies.

3. The Union shall adopt measures to ensure co-ordination of the employment policies of the member states, by adopting guidelines for these policies.

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