24/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 22 November, Commission Vice-President Margot Wallström presented the conclusions of a Commission Staff Paper on “The Cost of No-Constitution” to members of the European Parliament constitutional affairs committee. While the European Union can progress without a Constitution, “it would have more effective instruments to meet the challenges of globalisation” if the Constitutional Treaty had come into force, as initially planned, on 1st November 2006. With the Constitution, the EU would work more democratically and efficiently, both internally and externally, according to the Commission document. “The EU would also be more able to maximise the advantages of an enlarged Europe,” it goes on. EUROPE will return to this document in greater detail. (hb)