Friday, 06.06.2003

The coming eight days will decide whether the Convention will be a success or a failure. The Young European Federalists (JEF) appeal to Valéry Giscard d'Estaing to prevent a failure of the Constitutional Convention and listen to the majority of the Convention members, instead of changing this forum into an Intergovernmental Conference with a larger audience.

Jan Kreutz, Vice-President of JEF, said: "The Convention process cannot be regarded as successful if the result is a Union still unable to take decisions. Having unanimity decisions in a Union of 25 members will lead to renewed horse-trading."

"The Young European Federalists therefore agree with the majority of the Convention to use qualified majority voting in nearly all areas of Union action, including Foreign and Security Policy."

"The citizens of Europe are not willing to accept another European treaty. There is clearly a demand for a European Constitution. "

"The result of the Convention can only be considered as a Constitution, if the ratification and future amendments of the widely accepted text cannot be jeopardised by the veto of individual member states."

Jon Worth, JEF-Europe bureau member, further stressed: "The vast majority of the members of the convention are really committed to democratising the European Union."

"One of the crucial demands to this end is that the President of the European Commission has to be elected by the European Parliament. Only this solution will involve the European citizens and give them the chance to choose the politics and the leadership of the Union: by voting in the European elections."

"Giscard has to consider this demand when drawing up the final version of the European Constitution."

"The result of the Convention can only be seen as the break through for a transparent, democratic and efficient Union – as demanded by the Laeken declaration - if Giscard accepts the demands of the majority of Convention members."

Contact:
Jan Kreutz, JEF Vice President.
mailto: jan.kreutz@jef-europe.net
http://www.jef-europe.net/

To read the press release in French,click: http://www.jef-europe.net/presscentre/archives/001535.html