Brussels, 14/06/2005 (Agence Europe) - Speaking on 13 June at a press conference in Luxembourg attended by Commissioner Viviane Reding,Tony Venables, ECAS Director (European Citizen Action Service) urged in favour of a more active role for citizens in the debate on the European Constitution. ECAS states in a press release that it had analysed the Constitution from the “citizens' point of view” to create “50 questions and answers” on the constitutional treaty (http://www.ecas.org ). ECAS thus explains seven practical advantages that the Constitution can provide for citizens: - a more transparent decision-making procedure: the Council will adopt laws and framework laws in public. Why then, should the current “legislative jargon” be maintained with a Council that “legislates behind closed doors?”; - the Constitution is “a contract with the citizen”: it recognises cultural diversity, the protection of minorities, children's rights, gender equality and the fight against discrimination; - the Charter of Fundamental Rights becomes legally binding: or would one prefer the Charter proclaimed in Nice, an “expression of common values that cannot be used by the courts'?; - better access to European justice: the Constitution gives individuals access to the Court of Justice when the EU decisions affect them directly; - introduction of participatory democracy, in particular at least one million people may propose to the Commission a “legislative act that it could not ignore and would find it hard to refuse”;- EU accession to the European Convention of Human Rights; - a more readable text: parts I and II - 114 articles that are more “constitutional”, are more readable and take primacy over the more technical part III, according to ECAS (part III being much disparaged on EU policies). (Information: Tel.: 02 512 0884 or 02 548 9823. E-mail: tvenables@ecas.org or c.gonthier@ecas.org).