Brussels, 01/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - During a press conference held before the vote on the EP resolution on the Treaty of Nice (which mainly takes a position in favour of a European Constitution: see yesterday's EUROPE, p.3), several members of the "Constitution" Intergroup at the European Parliament stressed the progress made over the past few months by their initiative in favour of a European Constitution. This was noted by Mihail Papayannakis (Greek member of the United Left Group) and Italian Green member Monica Frassoni, as well as Italian Mariotto Segni (member of the Union for a Europe of Nations Group), who noted that the Parliament was playing a key role of providing impetus. The European Parliament had already played such a role with the Spinelli report which finally resulted in the Single Act and the Maastricht Treaty, recalled Mr Segni, who added: "now, our approach must result in a European Constitution". Mr Segni expressed the hope that, after winning the elections on 7 June, the British Labour government will be able to show a little boldness in European matters, and that the new Italian government would keep in line with continuity of European action in Italy. The United Kingdom is isolated in its rejection of a convention for preparing the next IGC, remarked British Liberal Democrat Andrew Duff, who, as we have already pointed out, said that Tony Blair told several heads of government (notably the current President of the European Council Göran Persson and the two successive presidents, Guy Verhofstadt and José Maria Aznar) that he may possibly agree to the solution of a convention if it were decided that governments would finally only send their representatives to it … Which would make the convention completely "emasculated", Mr Duff rapped out.