The European Union’s 40-year commitment to “an ever-closer union” is to be dropped in the new constitutional treaty being drawn up in Brussels.

The phrase has long been a red rag to Eurosceptics, who consider it to be proof of a federalist plot to create a European superstate. Now it has been deliberately omitted from the draft constitution, the first 16 articles of which will be unveiled today by Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, the former French President and chairman of the convention on the future of Europe. It is expected to be replaced by a more general commitment to a secure and prosperous future for members.

“It’s like the Labour Party dropping Clause Four,” a member of the 105-member convention said last night.

The decision to drop the phrase was taken yesterday at a meeting of the convention’s ruling presidium, which is drawing up language to express the EU’s basic values and long-term objectives.

Another controversial issue debated was whether the constitution should contain a specific reference to God and Christianity. The Times understands that the first 16 articles will contain no explicit references to either, despite vigorous lobbying by the Pope, Poland and a predominantly Roman Catholic group of convention members.

Secularists argue that a multicultural Europe should not prescribe its members’ religious beliefs. Instead of a direct reference to God, the treaty is likely to confirm that the EU respects the national identities of member states, including the legal status of churches and religious societies.

Yesterday several former Prime Ministers met in Brussels to discuss the role of religion, which has proven to be both one of the most divisive and emotive issues of the convention. In a speech to the Italian Parliament last November the Pope urged Europe to “maintain its Christian roots” and pressed M Giscard to ensure that the constitution referred to God and the Christian faith. The Vatican was alarmed last week when M Giscard told the Italian daily La Repubblica that he did not regard a reference to God as “opportune” since Europe was populated by Muslims, Jews and atheists as well as Christians.

Instead of a direct reference to God, the new treaty is likely to confirm that the EU respects the national identity of member states and that “essential elements of this identity” include the choice of language and the legal status of churches and religious societies. This would preserve the various concordats the Catholic Church has put in place in countries such as Germany. It would safeguard existing arrangements in countries such as Italy and Germany under which a proportion of income tax collected by the government is passed on to the clergy.

Support for the Vatican comes from Italy, Poland, Slovakia and Germany. Joachim Würmeling, a German MEP, has submitted a draft article to the convention that reads: “The Union’s values include the values of those who believe in God as the source of truth, justice, good and beauty, as well as those who do not share such a belief but respect these universal values arising from other sources.”

He also has the backing of the Polish Government, which would like to see the reference to God in its own constitution repeated in the future EU treaty. The Polish Government is seeking a similar reference in the accession treaty, due to be signed on April 16, which will provide the legal basis for the entry of ten new members to the EU.

Opponents, as well as objecting on the ground that Europe has too great a religious mix, say that a Christian constitution would prevent Turkey, which though a secular state has a mostly Muslim population, from joining the EU.

Copyright 2003 Times Newspapers Ltd.