The European Union is governed by the rule of law. This comes in the form of legal treaties that are determined and voted for democratically by all the 15 member states. Outdated treaties are normally revised in order to move on with the times to catch up with developments taking place in the society. On of the many European Union treaties is the Amsterdam 1997 treaty which was signed on 2nd October, 1997. This treaty was the third amendment and it came into force on 1st May, 1999. The purpose of the Amsterdam 1997 treaty was to build political and institutional structures so that the European Union could meet future challenges. Some of the major challenges were drug trafficking, terrorism and crime, and pressure on public health.
The treaty comprises of three parts, an annex and 13 protocols. The Amsterdam treaty made major changes to items of the previously signed Treaty of the European Union. Some of the major arguments supporting the treaty were that it presented some member states with room for faster growth and more flexibility. It also enabled the United Kingdom to move in line with the earlier signed Maastricht treaty. This treaty was not wholly embraced and in fact received criticism from some quarters.