Title XII The Community

Article 77: Autonomy
1. In the Community instituted under this Constitution, the States shall enjoy autonomy; they shall conduct their own administration and manage their own affairs democratically and freely.
2. There shall be only one citizenship of the Community.
3. All citizens shall be equal before the law, regardless of their origin, race or religion. They shall have the same duties.

Article 78: Common Jurisdiction
1. The Community's jurisdiction shall cover foreign policy, defence, currency, common economic and financial policy, as well as policy on strategic raw materials.
2. It shall also include, except in the case of specific agreements, supervision of justice, higher education and the general organization of external transport, transport within the Community, and telecommunications.
3. Special agreements may create other common jurisdictions or regulate any transfer of jurisdiction from the Community to one of its members.

Article 79: Transitional Regulations
1. The member States shall benefit from the provisions of Article 77 as soon as they have exercised the choice set out in Article 76.
2. Until the measures required for implementation of this title come into force, matters within the common jurisdiction shall be regulated by the Republic.

Article 80: Representation and Institutions
1. The President of the Republic shall preside over and represent the Community.
2. The institutional organs of the Community shall be an Executive Council, a Senate, and a Court of Arbitration.

Article 81: Mutual Representation
1. The member States of the Community shall participate in the election of the President in accordance with the conditions stipulated in Article 6.
2. The President of the Republic, in his capacity as President of the Community, shall be represented in each State of the Community.

Article 82: Executive Council
1. The Executive Council of the Community shall be presided over by the President of the Community. It shall consist of the Prime Minister of the Republic, the Heads of Government of each of the member States of the Community, and the ministers responsible for matters common to the Community.
2. The Executive Council shall organize the cooperation of members of the Community at government and administrative levels.
3. The organization and procedure of the Executive Council shall be determined by an organic act.

Article 83: Senate of the Community
1. The Senate of the Community shall be composed of delegates chosen by the Parliament of the Republic and the legislative Assemblies of the other Community members from among their own memberships. The number of delegates of each State shall be determined according to its population and the responsibilities it assumes in the Community.
2. It shall hold two sessions a year, each of which shall be opened and closed by the President of the Community and may not last longer than one month.
3. At the behest of the President of the Community, it shall deliberate on common economic and financial policy prior to legislation on these matters being voted upon by the Parliament of the Republic and, as and when applicable, by the legislative Assemblies of the other Community members.
4. The Senate of the Community shall examine the acts and treaties or international agreements referred to in Articles 35 and 53 and which commit the Community.
5. It shall make enforceable decisions in the domains in which it has received delegation of power from the legislative Assemblies of the Community members. These decisions shall be promulgated in the same form as legislation in the territory of each of the States concerned 6. An organic act shall determine its composition and rules of procedure.

Article 84: Court of Arbitration
1. A Court of Arbitration of the Community shall rule on litigation occurring between members of the Community.
2. Its composition and jurisdiction shall be determined by an organic act.

Article 85: Alteration of this Title
1. Notwithstanding the procedure provided for in Article 89, the provisions of this title that concern the functioning of the common institutions shall be amendable by identically worded acts passed by the Parliament of the Republic and the Senate of the Community.
2. The provisions of this title may also be amended by agreements concluded between all the States of the Community; the new provisions shall be brought into force under the conditions required by the Constitution of each State.

Article 86: Change of Status
1. A change of status of a member State of the Community may be requested, either by the Republic, or by resolution of the legislative Assembly of the State concerned, confirmed by a local referendum organized and supervised by the Community institutions. The terms and conditions of such a change shall be determined by agreement approved by the Parliament of the Republic and the legislative Assembly concerned.
2. In the same manner, a member State of the Community may become independent. It shall thereby cease to belong to the Community.
3. A member State of the Community may also, by agreement, become independent without thereby ceasing to belong to the Community.
4. An independent State outside the Community may, by agreement, join the Community without ceasing to be independent.
5. The position of these States within the Community shall be determined by agreements concluded to that end, in particular those referred to in the preceding paragraphs and, where applicable, those provided for in the second paragraph of Article 85.

Article 87: Parliamentary Approval
The special agreements concluded in implementation of this title shall be approved by the Parliament of the Republic and the legislative Assembly concerned.