June 20, 2003

More democracy, more transparency and more efficiency in the European Union were the results achieved by the Constitutional Convention. As Valéry Giscard d’Estaing on Friday hands over the draft European Constitution to the heads of state and government, it is now up to Europe’s political leaders to decide if these results will be upheld, or if deadlock will prevail.

The Young European Federalists (JEF-Europe) believe that the Convention has produced generally positive results. Representatives of 28 national governments and parliaments, as well as representatives of the European Parliament and the European Commission have managed to achieve consensus on a wide range of politically sensitive issues. Under the traditional IGC method of unanimity, such a good result would have been impossible.

“Thanks to the final text of the proposed Constitution, the fundamental rights and freedoms of EU citizens are clear. A more understandable and transparent institutional structure, bringing more accountability, will reform the old Union of negotiation into a new Union of participation,” said JEF-Europe Vice President Jan Kreutz.

“It is now up to the heads of state and government to recognise the Convention results as a genuine step towards a truly democratic and federal Europe, and to endorse the Constitution that has been proposed,” stressed JEF President Alison Weston.

JEF welcomes the work and the results of the Convention which has to be seen as a historic development in the European integration process. But there is still work to be done. The final structure for the European Union is yet to be created.

“Not all the majority opinions within the Convention were included in the final document. The President of the Convention, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, was too afraid of vetoes in the IGC to accept the clear will of the majority of Convention members on a number of crucial institutional issues,” continued Alison Weston.

There is still little support for the proposal for a President of the European Council. A majority of politicians and citizens want to see a democratically accountable European Commission as the executive of the Union, and the European Parliament, acting together with a chamber of states, as a real legislature. Furthermore, European citizens will still be unable to choose the President of the Commission as no true link to the European Parliament elections has been put in place.

“This Constitution must be accepted by our political leaders, but the European project cannot end here”, added Alison Weston. “Future Conventions called to amend the Constitution will need to address the remaining contradictions and weaknesses of the current draft in order to establish a more democratic and transparent European Union.”

Contact:
Marianne Bonnard, Secretary General.
mailto:sg@jef-europe.net
Tel: +32 2 5120053
http://www.jef-europe.net/; http://www.constitutional-convention.net/