FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, 28th February 2003

A FEDERAL UNION FOR THE YOUNG CITIZENS

In yesterday's Convention debate on the first articles of the future
Constitution, a majority of the Convention members spoke in favour of a
federal European Union. The omission of the word 'federal' would be
disappointing, especially for the young. In the final report of the
European Youth Convention in July 2002, young citizens from all over Europe
called for a 'European Federal Constitution'.

Alison Weston, President of the Young European Federalists (JEF-Europe)
said: "Federal elements in the European Union, such as the Euro, are already
a reality. The task of the Convention is to establish a Constitution which
gives the EU the democratic basis it has been lacking until now."

A broad majority of the Convention members also spoke in favour of changing
the draft articles to give a more significant role to the citizens. . "The
Young European Federalists would like to see the Convention establish a
Union
of citizens and states, not of states and peoples," continued Alison Weston.
"In this Union it should be the interest of 500 Million citizens that
counts, not the interest of 27 governments."

"Valéry Giscard d'Estaing is wrong when he says that citizens care more
about
institutions, competences and technicalities than about their rights. It is
precisely the opposite. The Charter of Fundamental Rights has to be at the
very beginning of the Constitution", said Jan Kreutz, Vice-President of JEF-
Europe.

Alison Weston stressed: "In the new versions of the articles and future
articles, the will of the citizens must play a stronger role. The citizens
have accepted that the EU is more than a mixture of national states - it is
time for the EU to reflect this."

"Citizens demand a Union that respects the democratic principle at the
European level. This must be a guiding principle in the discussion on the
institutions. The result of the Convention therefore must be a European
Federal Constitution."

(c) JEF-Europe 2003

Press Contact: Jan Kreutz
(info@jef-europe.net)