03/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - Former Belgian prime minister and Vice-President of the Convention on the future of Europe, now a member of the EPP-ED group at the European Parliament, Jean-Luc Dehaene, told a small group of reporters and EU officials on 2 February that the reflection period following the French and Dutch no votes in their referendums on the constitution was 'necessary' because the crisis opened up in the very heart of the European Union despite people thinking it could never happen in any of the six founder nations. He said the referendums, particularly in France, had revealed mounting fear about globalisation in society and it was necessary to prove to people that globalisation is needed but in an organised, balanced manner and the constitution is the beginnings of a response to globalisation. The meeting was organised by ADEU, the Advocacy European Institute (http://www.adeu.be ).