Brussels, 10/06/2003 (Agence Europe) - The sixteen German Länder are very pleased with the way the draft Constitution deals with one of their main demands made early during the work of the Convention, namely the clear delimitation of Community powers, on one hand, and national/regional powers that will remain attributed to the federate entities of the Member States (in the case of Germany, the Länder and communes), on the other. "We have finally obtained what we have been asking for for a long time", Erwin Teufel (CDU), Minister-President of the Land of Baden-Wurttemberg, who is one of the Bundesrat representatives at the Convention, told several journalists Friday last. The draft text does not only give a very clear definition and breakdown of powers but also the principles that must govern their practical implementation (mainly subsidiarity, proportionality, the right to take legal action in the case of a conflict of powers, etc.), Mr Teufel was pleased to note.
MEP Elmar Brok, who heads the EPP component at the Convention, said he was generally satisfied with the draft text presented on Friday morning by the Praesidium. "Even if all is not wonderful, the text reflects a homogenous concept that is along the right lines and which constitutes a good basis for a final agreement", which should be possible by the end of next week, Mr Brok said. Improvements are needed, he says, especially for foreign policy to which qualified majority vote should apply. MEP and Convention Member Joachim Würmeling (CSU) also stressed the importance that his political family grants to a better European policy in asylum matters. We are ready to do away with unanimity in this area, but on condition that the Member States maintain their autonomy with regards access by third country nationals to the labour market, he said. The lack of a direct reference in the Constitution's preamble to Christian values continues to cause discontent among CDU/CSU Convention Members. "We shall try to introduce a reference to Christianism but, if this is not possible, we shall ask that the whole passage on the influence of the Greeks, Romans, the Enlightenment, humanism, etc. be done away with", Mr Brok announced.