Brussels, 23/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - Speaking at a conference in Amsterdam on Monday, Commissioner for Trade Peter Mandelson, welcomed the relaunch of the debate on the Constitution begun last week by the German chancellor and president of the European Council, Angela Merkel. Mandelson highlighted the need for debate, but also stated that “the EU should start its debate on a constitution from scratch rather than try to revive the rejected charter” (the charter was rejected in France and the Netherlands). The Commissioner for trade said that he was against holding a new referendum on the basis of the original text, and was opposed to political leaders “who cherry pick from the previous constitution text”. This solution has also been put forward by the French minister of the interior, Nicolas Sarkozy. Mandelson explained, “We can no longer rely on the arguments of the past to convince a sceptical public about the value of the Union. We have to demonstrate its relevance here and now”. He also appealed for “a new rationale for a more integrated Europe in the 21st century”, adding, “That rationale is our response to globalisation, both at home and abroad; in projecting Europe's collective interests in a globalised world, and in equipping Europeans for the economic and social challenges it brings”. The Commissioner affirmed that the debate on the future of Europe should be built, “not top down but from the ground up. Even the word 'constitution' carries the risk of distracting us from what we are actually trying to do, which is to make the European Union work better”. Mr Mandelson was adamant that “the public in many Member States will be sceptical of this. Their starting point is not a text, but the things that are relevant to their lives and concerns”. The Commissioner concluded, “This is why we need a debate on the policy and purpose of the European Union. If we can start that question then our institutional answers will follow”. (eh)