EU leaders shelve constitution for two years
EU leaders today put aside questions over what to do with their embattled constitution for at least two more years, opting instead to focus on promoting Europe to their citizens by pressing ahead with economic reforms and a common immigration policy.
Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, who chaired the two-day summit in Brussels, said the EU would concentrate on implementing practical policies to create jobs, boost economic growth and strengthen border security.
The decision to delay on the constitution was seen as an admission that a year-long “reflection period” had failed to break a deadlock over whether to abandon the treaty or try to persuade France and the Netherlands, whose voters rejected the document, to hold new referendums.
Fifteen other EU states have already ratified the document, meant to allow the EU to better take in new members by streamlining decision making. The constitution needs unanimous backing for it to take effect.
“Europe needs new rules, but what form those rules take is an open question,” said British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
He said that in time, the EU should address how Europe can most effectively absorb new members, but that priorities should be tackling immigration, terrorism and energy policy.
“We should be getting on with the pressing issues ... my suggestion is to get to where the people in Europe are, the issues they are talking about,” Blair said.
Leaders, however, said the failure to adopt the treaty – amid growing public opposition to enlargement – did not mean the bloc would rule out further expansion to the western Balkans and possibly to Ukraine.
French President Jacques Chirac said the EU remained “in favour of the principle of enlargement,” but added it would need institutions “that allow the system to work.”
In a declaration, the leaders stressed they would “honour existing commitments” to try to complete entry talks with candidates Croatia and Turkey, and bring in Romania and Bulgaria as planned on January 1 next year.
They said, however, that after Romania and Bulgaria join, the EU will have to re-evaluate the way it works if it is to cope with an expanded union of more than 27 members.
The EU leaders agreed to hold summit talks on future expansion in December and said they would assess Turkey’s membership bid then as well, warning Ankara to implement a customs deal to open its ports and airports to Cypriot goods, something it has refused to do.
Also at today’s talks, EU leaders approved Slovenia’s bid to join the euro, making it the first new EU member to join the 12-nation single currency zone.
On the EU’s embattled constitution, Schuessel said EU leaders agreed to a deadline at the end of 2008 to resolve the matter, and will in the meantime focus on boosting public support for EU projects.
“We have to show that the EU listens to people’s concerns,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel said.
EU leaders agreed to focus on about 35 practical measures, including fighting illegal immigration and boosting border security, notably the current flow of migrants from Africa making their way to the Canary Islands in Spain.
One of the aims is faster and more efficient decision-making on immigration and asylum policy matters within the bloc, doing away with national vetoes on such issues.
The leaders also aimed to have a detailed plan drafted by next year on setting up a common energy policy aimed at securing energy supplies for Europe.
