Brussels, 07/04/2003 (Agence Europe) - In a letter sent to all members of the Praesidium of the European Convention, about one hundred non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for defence of the environment strongly reacted to the Praesidium's approach of 14 March this year concerning the treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Commuity (EURATOM). NGOs call on Convention members not to incorporate the European Treaty into a new European constitutional settlement as, they say, it is "clearly biased, out of date and undemocratic". Those signing the letter included: Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, WWF, Birdlife, European Environmental Bureau, and the Climate Action Network.
The Praesidium states in a note that the Euratom Treaty could be adapted to the new Treaty by annexing a protocol which would allow Euratom to "continue to exist independently". "Amending the Euratom Treaty in that way would not change its nature, as it would continue to be primary legislation", and it would "not preclude a merging of the legal personalities of the Euratom Community and of the European Union". The Praesidum had noted that the Laeken Declaration does not raise questions relating specifically to the areas covered by the European Treaty.