02/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel repeated on 1 January 2007, the first day of the German EU Council Presidency, that “if Europe is to remain able to act, it needs a constitutional treaty”. “Here we are keen to make a contribution and will be consulting closely with our European partners in this connection”, Ms Merkel said in a message sent out on the German Presidency's website (http://www.eu2007.de ). “By the end of our Presidency, we hope to have a road map showing how a constitutional treaty can become reality across Europe”, she went on to say, adding: “Europe can remain strong only if people feel they have a real future. Many ask themselves what benefits Europe brings them personally in terms of security and prosperity; they wonder if there is simply too much bureaucracy”. (hb)