Abstract
The new European Union Constitution, if ratified by the EU's Member States, will replace the existing EC Treaty and Treaty on European Union. The Author analyzes the text of the Constitution to determine how it balances the functions and powers of the EU institutions with the role of the Member State governments within the EU system. Topic areas include the characteristics of the EU, the Union's values and objectives, and the substantive areas of EU activity. In each area the Constitution reveals a determined effort by its drafters to emphasize the corresponding characteristics, values, and powers of the Member States. The Author's conclusion is that the treaties' delicate balance between the competences of the EU and the states has been attentively maintained in the Constitution.