Fresh Hope for EU Constitution

Representatives of some 30 countries gathered in the German capital on Friday to discuss the way forward for the European Union and its constitution. All eyes were focused on Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, who as the current helmsman of the rotating EU presidency, is charged with the tricky task of kick-starting the stalled negotiations on creating a European constitution.

Talks to sign off a draft constitution collapsed in December when European leaders came to blows over voting weights. Now, with the advent of a New Year come fresh talks, and no matter how tough the job might be, Bertie Ahern is optimistic that agreement can be reached by the end of 2004. “I cannot promise that the constitution will be agreed in our presidency, but equally it would be premature to conclude that it will not,” Ahern said. He added that it would be preferable for agreement to be reached as soon as possible, as failure to do so could result in the development of a dangerous vacuum.

German support

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, who attended the forum in place of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who was ill, pledged Ahern Germany’s full support. He, too, stressed the importance of agreeing on a constitution before the end of the year, warning that failure to achieve this would result in a single Europe which moved at different speeds.

In the absence of a constitution, Europe is bound by the decision-making processes set out in the Nice Treaty. It was this treaty under which Spain and Poland were granted what many perceive as disproportionate power and almost as many votes as much larger union states such as France and Germany. The Nice Treaty contributed to the deadlock in constitution talks at the end of last year.

But Fischer was quick to emphasize that the problems with the Nice Treaty are not about voting weights. “Our problems with Nice are quite different. The decision mechanisms in the Nice Treaty are based on blocking minorities. Under the Nice model 90 votes are needed to block decisions,” Fischer said at the forum.

Those in favor of the draft constitution maintain that it will make it more difficult for motions to be blocked when the union expands from 15 to 25 members on May 1. And being able to make decisions clearly and quickly is crucial for Europe. As Joschka Fischer was at pains to point out at the forum. “The world won’t wait for Europe, and Europe cannot play an effective role in the world if it is caught up in arguments on majorities and money,” he said.

Measured spending

Indeed Fischer was vocal on future spending patterns within the EU, stressing that when the 10 new states become official members in the spring, the union should not start spending more, but should ensure that the money is better distributed. “European Union spending must be stabilised and should not make up more than one percent of gross national product,” said Fischer.

The foreign minister also spoke out in favour of negotiations on allowing Turkey to join the EU. A decision from Brussels is expected later this year, but Fischer added that a deciding factor would be the progress Turkey makes in pushing through its own reforms.