28/08/2003 (Agence Europe) - As reported in EUROPE of 27 August, p.2, the Finnish prime minister Matti Vanhanen has said that Finland is not entirely happy with the Convention's draft European Constitution, particularly with regard to the balance between institutions, equality between Member States and the defence policy. In a speech in Helsinki on 25 August, Vanhanen said the government was in the process of examining which issues are important enough to be taken to the IGC. He said that Finland is one of the Member States that feels the Convention was a new type of preparatory body, and the IGC must be a “genuine discussion” between EU governments. The Convention's proposals are a good foundation but cannot bind the IGC or prevent it asking all the necessary questions, insisted Vanhanen.