Andrew Duff MEP for East of England

EU Constitution: Andrew Duff MEP calls for a Commission Plan 'B'

2.13.20pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 10th May 2006

Andrew DUFF (LibDem, UK), spokesman on constitutional affairs for the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) has given a cautious welcome to today's decisions of the European Commission on the future of Europe. But he wants a more vigorous lead to be taken by the Commission at next month's meeting of the European Council.

In a statement, Andrew DUFF, who is also the Parliament's co-rapporteur on the 'period of reflection', said:

"President Barroso is right to challenge member states to deliver on Europe. It is also good that the Commission is going to do more to help national parliaments become more effective scrutineers of their own ministers in Council and to become more generally informed about EU affairs."

"But the Commission has to push the governments much harder to shoulder directly their own responsibilities to bring to life the Constitution they have all negotiated and signed. At least six countries have said that they cannot or will not ratify the Constitution. So the text has to be changed, and the Commission should be the first institution to draw that fairly obvious conclusion. It should do so with courage."

"The June European Council should equip itself with a clear timetable to bring the period of reflection to a definitive close during 2007. At that stage the leaders must agree to renegotiate the Constitution, and establish a judicious mandate for a new IGC. That mandate will need to protect the main parts of the Constitution from modification, where consensus still holds good, but focus on the chapters that need to be improved in order to address the genuine concerns of the citizens."

"As the Parliamentary Forum exposed earlier this week, these matters will include economic governance, the social model, the issues of borders and neighbourhood, and the reform of finances. I hope we will also be able to up-grade the fight against climate change and address other issues, such as how we balance justice and security at a European level, where the 2004 Constitution is not yet perfect."

"President Barroso now needs to give the European Council a clear perspective of a 'Plan B' to be unveiled during 2007-08."

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