26/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - Christopher Leitl, president of the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Eurochambres) warned that a French no-vote on the European Constitution would be an enormous step backwards. He added that, “Without France, the EU would not even exist today. I strongly hope that the French people - after an instructive debate - will one more time take up the cudgel for Europe's future”. In a press release he stated that there were lessons to be learned from the national debates on the Constitution, which “shows that we have failed to communicate the benefits of the European Union to EU citizens. He added that EU needed to streamline decisions effectively. The constitutional treaty provides these tools, “A French rejection would risk throwing Europe back to the Nice Treaty which is inadequate for a well functioning EU of 25 Member States with negative effects on a weak economy”.