Roadmap to institutional reform now clear

3.50.43pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 6th Jun 2007

Andrew Duff MEP, Liberal Democrat Constitutional Affairs Spokesperson, has welcomed a key European Parliament report into the future of the proposed European Constitution (the Brok-Baron report).

Commenting, Andrew said:

"As the period of reflection comes to a welcome end, we can get on with re-negotiating and re-packaging the constitutional treaty with an aim to its substantive improvement.

"The constitutional treaty in an amended form has to do one thing and do it well. That is to strengthen democracy: democracy inside the institutions as well as democracy between the EU, national, regional and local levels of government.

"We must also devise more flexible ways and means of revising the treaty in the future.

"This means recognition by those who still wish to reject the constitution that, although they might still have the right of legal veto, they will have neither the moral authority nor the political power to block progress for the rest of Europe.

"Moves by President Sarkozy to inject a new pragmatism into the constitutional debate, coupled with softening of attitudes in the Netherlands and Holland, are to be welcomed. One hoped they are matched by a similar positive attitude from Gordon Brown when he becomes Prime Minister later this month."

ENDS