Dear Europeans,

This is the last Bulletin of uncertainty, the uncertainty of not knowing whether the Convention will be a success or a failure. In our next edition we will be able to present to you the final European Constitution and the first comments on it.

Considering that there is less than a week of work ahead of the Convention, it is remarkable that on major issues there still seems to be no consensus. Whereas nearly the entire Parts 1, 2 and 4 (the 3rd Part on Union policies will be finalised after the Thessaloniki council) seem to be acceptable to Convention members, no clear consensus on institutions is in reach. Despite the fact that a majority of Convention members reject a President or a Chair of the European Council, the Convention Presidium is convinced that they will include this position in the institutional architecture of the future Union. The same applies to the issue of unanimity and qualified majority voting, a question on which the opinions of most Convention members differ from those of individual government representatives and the Presidium.

“Our Constitution is called a democracy because power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people.”

[First sentences of the proposed Preable of the future European Constitution.]

1. Do you think that there will be a consensus when the new articles on institutions are released on Monday?

We have been working very hard over 18 months, I think we have created a precedent of openness, and there is a consensus for a union that is more efficient. So that means we must make an effort to reach a consensus. But this does not mean agreeing a lowest denominator. I really want a complete framework that makes sense that makes the EU more efficient and more democratic. I hope we are all working towards that and I hope we all reach that at the end of the day.

X µ γάρ πολιτεία ... καί όνο µ µ διά τό µ ές ολίγους a ™ ές πλείονας οικεiν δη µ κέκληται ...

[Our Constitution is called a democracy because power is in the hands not of a minority but of the whole people.]

Thucydides II, 37

Conscious that Europe is a continent that has brought forth civilisation; that its inhabitants, arriving in successive waves since the first ages of mankind, have gradually developed the values underlying humanism: equality of persons, freedom, respect for reason,

Drawing inspiration from the cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe, which, nourished first by the civilisations of Greece and Rome, characterised by spiritual impulse always present in its heritage and later by the philosophical currents of the Enlightenment, has embedded within the life of society its perception of the central role of the human person and his inviolable and inalienable rights, and of respect for law,

To see the entire text of the Preamble, click: http://european-convention.eu.int/docs/Treaty/cv00722.en03.pdf.

Revised articles of Part One (not including institutions) which were basis for the discussed in the Convention session on 5th June.

To see the entire revised Part One of the Constitution, click: http://european-convention.eu.int/docs/Treaty/cv00724-re01.en03.pdf.

Revised articles of Title IV of Part One (Union Institutions) which were basis for the discussed in the Convention Component meetings (European Parliament, national parliaments, national governments and the European Commission) on 6th June.

To see the entire revised articles of Title IV, click: http://european-convention.eu.int/docs/Treaty/cv00770.en03.pdf.

To see the analysis of ammendments to the Part One of the Constitution (including only ammendments having support of more than one Convention member) can be found on: http://register.consilium.eu.int/pdf/en/03/cv00/cv00779en03.pdf .

Revised articles of Part TWO (Charter), THREE (Politics in the Union) and FOUR (Final and General Provisions).

To see the entire revised Part TWO, THREE and FOUR of the Constitution, click: http://european-convention.eu.int/docs/Treaty/cv00725.en03.pdf.

Following I would like to sum up the Convention session on 30th and 31st May 2003. For three reasons the meeting was not really fruitful: a) Due to the public holiday on Thursday, the Convention members had to work on Friday until late and on Saturday. These unusual working hours did not improove the paticipation and motivation of Convention members. Further, instead of finishing at 6 pm as scheduled previously, the meeting stoped at 1 pm, not leaving a lot of room for deabte. b) The articles to be discussed on Saturday – the 339 articles of Part 3 – have only been put forward to the Convention members on Tuesday and there was not enough time for them to study them in detail. c) The presidium did not structure Saturday’s session, which resulted in a quite massy debate. Having 80 speakers on 330 articles will hardly result into any consensus on any of the articles.

To see the full briefing, click: Download file

By: Jan Kreutz
Vice President JEF-Europe;
Contact: jan.kreutz@jef-europe.net

I. ANALYSIS OF THE AMENDMENTS BY TOPIC - SUMMARY

To see the full document, click: http://register.consilium.eu.int/pdf/en/03/cv00/cv00670en03.pdf.

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.

Friday, 30.05.2003

Prior to today's Convention session, Tony Blair, speaking in Warsaw, has railed against a 'federal superstate', claiming Britain's calls for a Europe of the nations are being increasingly respected.

Brussels/Strasbourg, 5 June 2003

The Intergroup "European Constitution" launched a final urgent appeal to the Convention to conclude its work with one single text rather than several options, during its meeting in Strasbourg on June 4th.
Keeping the options open and postponing important decisions until the intergovernmental conference would be tantamount to a failure of the Convention.

Depuis cinquante ans, partout dans le monde, nous ne faisons plus de différence entre le mot « Europe » et le mot « paix ». Après avoir longtemps incarné la folie, le raffinement dans le crime comme dans la perversité et le mal, les Européens ont emprunté une voie politique apaisée dans la coopération et le partage. Notre communauté de destin est une union de peuples différents à des fins de paix et de prospérité. Cette unité a impulsé une solidarité continentale au service d’une gouvernance économique et sociale régionale et de valeurs qui sont celles de la démocratie libérale et des droits de l’homme. Au lendemain de la guerre, des hommes courageux et inspirés ont changé le cours de l’histoire grâce à ce projet. Celui-ci s’est accompli avec le soutien du peuple libérateur des USA, dans le souvenir permanent du crime imprescriptible de la shoah. Une telle naissance extra-ordinaire a marqué durablement le nouveau-né et cinquante ans après les motivations pour poursuivre cette union « sans cesse plus étroite » ne changeront pas. Des esprits brillants et souvent inquiets cherchent à tord de nouvelles justifications à la poursuite du projet sans s’apercevoir que seules les méthodes et les défis peuvent varier, mais que le pourquoi de l’unification reste intrinsèquement intangible. Il ne s’agit pas tant aujourd’hui de refaire la preuve de l’Europe que de poursuivre notre quête de liberté et notre combat permanent contre tous les totalitarismes. C’est ce que l’Europe doit au monde, c’est sa promesse. Pour la tenir, la communauté des européens doit être indépendante et redevenir maîtresse de son destin.

A Constitution for a Europe of Citizens?

Statement from 27 May 2003

SOLIDAR is the alliance of social and economic justice NGOs involved in social welfare, development and humanitarian aid. We bring together organisations across the European Union who regroup over 8 million citizens. In March 2002, SOLIDAR formulated 7 key demands to the Convention for a more democratic and transparent European Union, closer to the needs and aspirations of its citizens.

THE COMMON EUROPEAN INTEREST MUST BE DEFENDED!

Dear Members of the Convention

One of the main criticisms of the European Union in recent years has been that it is too distant from the citizen. Its decisions are not always clear, its decision-makers are not always accountable. Addressing this complaint should have been one of the main tasks of the convention. But as things stand, the present set of proposals risk, if anything, making the situation worse.

You are cordially invited to participate in an event of the Civil Society Contact Group

17th of June 2003, 9am – 5pm

Scotland House, Round-Point Schuman 6. B-1040 Brussels

TIME TO ACT4EUROPE - Civil Society’s next steps after the Convention.

Released on 06/06/03

CONVENTION ON THE FUTURE OF EUROPE: CURRENT DRAFT MIGHT THREATEN ACCEPTANCE BY WOMEN OF FUTURE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION

Once again, the European Women’s Lobby (EWL), representing thousands of women across the European Union and beyond, joining voice with women Parliamentarians, some members of the Convention, experts and other NGOs, expresses its deep disappointment at the complete lack of strengthening of gender equality in the new revised text.

Brussels, 27th May 2003

Dear Members of the Convention on the Future of Europe,

Equality of women and men in articles I-2 and I-4 draft European Constitutional Treaty

The European Women’s Lobby (EWL) considers the current wording relating to gender equality in Part I of the new revised text of the Constitutional Treaty as a betrayal of the women of Europe. Once again, EWL, representing thousands of women across the European Union and beyond, joining voice with women Parliamentarians, some members of the Convention, experts and other NGOs, expresses its deep disappointment that gender equality has not been strengthened in the revised text as compared to the current European Treaty.