Dear Europeans,

The Project “European Constitution” has entered a new phase. In Thessaloniki, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing handed over the Constitution to the heads of state and government. The fate of the European Union is now up to their political will and their courage to agree to the Constitutional proposal made by the Convention.

“Mr. President,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The text I am going to present to you today is the fruit of our collective work over a period of sixteen months.

It is a single text, constituting a coherent and unequivocal whole.

PREFACE

Noting that the European Union was coming to a turning point in its existence, the European Council which met in Laeken, Belgium, on 14 and 15 December 2001 convened the European Convention on the future of Europe.

The Convention was asked to draw up proposals on three subjects: how to bring citizens closer to the European design and European Institutions; how to organise politics and the European political area in an enlarged Union; and how to develop the Union into a stabilising factor and a model in the new world order. […]

CONVENTION / IGC

The European Council welcomes the Draft Constitutional Treaty presented by the President of the Convention, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. This presentation marks a historic step in the direction of furthering the objectives of European integration:
* bringing our Union closer to its citizens,
* strengthening our Union's democratic character,
* facilitating our Union's capacity to make decisions, especially after its enlargement,
* enhancing our Union's ability to act as a coherent and unified force in the international system and
* effectively deal with the challenges globalisation and interdependence create.

I would like to give you a briefing from the European Council meeting in Porto Carras, close to Thessaloniki. At one of the nicest beaches in Greece, far away from civilisation – in order to keep demonstrators out – the heads of state and government have discussed three main issues: the European Constitution, the Western Balkans; and asylum und immigration. Here I will only focus on the first aspect. As expected, the politicians did not come up with any surprising positions, but the decision was nevertheless quite important: The result of the Convention has been welcomed and approved as the basis for discussion in the IGC.

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.

Copenhagen/Brussels, 17thof June 2003

"The constitutional treaty adopted by the Convention last week should be carried as it is!. The process has been open and transparent and it is of great importance that all countries now support the line and content of this final draft of the Convention "

says Ellen Trane Nørby, President of LYMEC, European Liberal Youth and continues:

To coincide with the publication of Parts I and II of the final draft Constitution, Futurum has created a special section explaining the Treaty drawn up by the Convention.

A citizen's guide to the draft Constitution and a Powerpoint presentation showing the major changes introduced by the draft Constitution may be consulted at: http://europa.eu.int/futurum/comm/index_en.htm.

Brussels, 17 June 2003

The Union of European Federalists (UEF), a supranational organisation presided over by Jo LEINEN MEP, welcomes the compromise proposal of the Convention as an important step towards a more democratic, transparent and effective European Union. In our eyes the election of the Commission President by the European Parliament, the integration of the EU Charter of fundamental rights and the creation of a strong EU Foreign Minister are the most important achievements.

Brussels, 16.06.03

At its last meeting, the European Convention on the Future of Europe finalised its debates on the draft EU Constitutional Treaty. The European Children’s Network, EURONET, congratulates the members of the Convention for having included in the final text of the future European Constitution the protection of children's rights as part of the objectives of the Union.