Firstly, that this cooperation is open at all times to all Member States of the European Union which wish to participate in it; secondly, that the criteria and rules according to which this cooperation is set in motion do not stem from a decision made by the States which initially establish this cooperation, but are approved by the European Council.
For det første skal alle de medlemsstater, som ønsker at deltage i dette samarbejde, til enhver tid kunne deltage i det. For det andet skal de kriterier og regler, der kommer til at gælde for dette samarbejde, ikke besluttes af de medlemsstater, som starter samarbejdet, men vedtages af Det Europæiske Råd.