Brussels, 10/09/2003 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday the Constitutional Committee of the European Parliament chaired by Giorgio Napolitano (Democratici di Sinistra) adopted by 18 votes, 6 against and 4 abstentions, the report of Spanish Christian Democrat, José Maria Gil-Robles Gil-Delgado and that of Greek Socialist Dimitris Tsatsos, which approves the convening of an Intergovernmental conference (IGC) and calls for the respect of the consensus reached by the European Convention. The reports will be submitted to the Parliament plenary during the second session of September in Strasbourg.
The Constitutional Committee is calling on the IGC to approve the draft treaty instituting a Constitution for Europe, "without modifying its fundamental balance and striving to strengthen its coherency". Analysis of the draft treaty underlines the substantial progress that it will allow as well as some shortcomings that need to be corrected. The report notes that progress included the inclusion of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the disappearance of the pillar based structure, a single legal personality, simplification of procedures for codecision and qualified majority voting, citizens" initiative etc. MEPs are not hiding the fact that they would have liked a greater expansion of codecision, a more important role for the Parliament in foreign and common security policy and improved delineation of the roles of the Permanent President of the European council and the European Minister for Foreign Affairs. They are also hoping that Commission reform will not damage the collegial character of the institution. They are highly critical that the current system does not envisage the granting of a second mandate to good Commissioners.
The report proposes that the new treaty is signed by the 25 Member States a on 9 May 2004, the European festival day and that its approval is done through a referendum at the same time as the European elections in all Member States where possible.
At the end of the Parliamentary committee, Mr Gil-Robles underlined that it was not up to MEPs to open up Pandora's box. He considered that the IGC also had to prevent opening up negotiations on balanced solutions found at the Convention.
The Danish President of the Europe of Democracies and Diversities, Jens-Peter Bonde hoped that the Parliamentary plenary would approve on 24 September the idea of a referendum. Mr Bonde noted that, "this is the only democratic way of doing it. Eurosceptics and ardent federalists are both agreed on that".
In a press statement, Belgian Socialist, Jean-Maurice Dehousse, indicated that he had voted against the report because he thought I the draft treaty insufficient. He mention the 1) shortcomings in the social arena, 2) the absence of protecting public services, 3) the maintaining of unanimity in taxation and 4) insufficiencies regarding territorial cohesion policy and the role of the regions.