08/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - European Parliament Vice-President Ingo Friedrich (CDU) wished Council President Anna Lindh great success, as well as the new Swedish Presidency of the EU. In his letter, Mr. Friedrich considers that Sweden has to have as priority to meet the shortcomings of the Nice Treaty. "Without improvement, nothing guarantees that the European Parliament will approve the Treaty of Nice", says Mr. Friedrich, placing special emphasis on the risk of a weakening of the decision-making process that stems from the adoption of a minority 75% block in Council and the too limited an extension of co-decision. While noting that these inadequacies do not allow for a simple acquiescence, he stresses that Parliament would have difficulty in placing enlargement back into question. Mr. Friedrich also considers that the next intergovernmental conference in 2004 should take the form of a Convention based on the model of the one that proved its worth in drawing up the Charter of Fundamental Rights.