December 18, 2007

Hungary first to ratify new EU treaty
Hungary on Monday (17 December) became the first of the 27 member states to ratify the bloc's new treaty, making the move just days after the document was formally signed off by EU leaders. A parliamentary vote saw 325 votes in favour, 5 votes against and 14 abstentions for the new set of rules, according to Austrian news agency APA.
Read article at euobserver.com

December 13, 2007

EU leaders sign bloc's new treaty amid public doubts
European Union leaders on Thursday signed a new treaty they said allows them to react more promptly to global issues by changing the way their bloc is run. The Lisbon Treaty, endorsed by the EU's 27 leaders two months ago after years of unease among Europeans about how much sovereignty they should surrender to centralized rule, replaces a thwarted project to establish a European Constitution. The treaty will come into force after it is ratified by all member states. The aim is to complete that process by 2009. The signing took place, however, amid complaints that the heads of government were not planning to hold referendums on the document, and accusations about environmental damage they were causing by flying to a two-hour ceremony.
Read article in the International Herald Tribune

December 13, 2007

Salmond seeks EU treaty referendum
First Minister Alex Salmond has called for a referendum on the EU reform treaty, saying not holding one would be a breach of faith with the public. "The people were promised a referendum - they should get one," he told an audience at Edinburgh University, describing the issue as "a matter of public probity". "When the constitutional treaty was alive, the Labour Party promised a referendum before the General Election of 2005," said Mr Salmond. "While there are some differences between the constitutional treaty and the reform treaty, in substance they are almost identical."
Read article in the Midlothian Advertiser (Scotland/UK)

December 12, 2007

MEPs warn of 'battle ahead' over EU treaty
Signing the controversial reform treaty will not put an end to the “crisis of confidence” in the EU, it has been claimed.
Read article at theparliament.com
Comment: Margot Wallstrom, commission vice president, told MEPs that “lessons had been learned” following the rejection of the EU constitution by Dutch and French voters in 2005. However, senior deputies, including GUE/NGL leader Francis Wurtz, warned it would be wrong to think a line could be drawn under the whole issue of Europe’s future. "The EU is making a significant error of diagnosis if it considers that this summit agreement marks the end of the crisis of confidence between whole sections of our societies and the current economic and social tendencies of the EU," he said.

December 12, 2007

Danish MPs vote against EU treaty referendum
The Danish parliament has voted against having a referendum on the new EU treaty, making it likely that Ireland will be the only EU member state to put the document to a public poll.
Read article at euobserver.com

December 12, 2007

Germany seeks to enshrine EU flag
Germany has mounted a last-ditch effort to get the European Union flag, anthem, motto and single currency recognised in the new EU Reform Treaty. Along with 15 other nations, Germany is attempting to add a new clause that enshrines those symbols of the EU that were not included in the original treaty. Gordon Brown had specifically been against them being included. It comes just days before the controversial treaty - which is almost identical to the rejected EU Constitution - is signed in Lisbon.
Read article in the Daily Telegraph (UK)

December 10, 2007

Enlarged EU is coping without treaty, says study
European Union leaders fly to Lisbon on Thursday to sign a treaty that most describe as essential to modernise the bloc's institutions after its enlargement in May 2004 from 15 countries to 27. Yet according to a report by one of Europe's leading academic experts on the EU, the main institutions - the council of ministers, European Commission, European parliament and European Court of Justice - are functioning as well as ever and the much-predicted gridlock has not happened.
Read article in the Financial Times (UK)

December 5, 2007

Klaus: EU reform treaty is EU constitution renamed
The new draft EU reform treaty is nothing but a renamed European constitution on which the EU member states had failed to agree, Czech President Vaclav Klaus said at a meeting with businesspeople Tuesday. Klaus, knowns as a Euro-sceptic said he had withdrawn from the debates on the reform treaty not to complicate the government's life. He said he did not even go to the EU summit in Lisbon in October at which the treaty was being negotiated. "You have a reform treaty, and now try all of you to live with it," Klaus said.
Read article at praguemonitor.com (Czech Republic)

December 5, 2007

Liberal leadership rivals back EU reform treaty
Two former MEPs who are rivals in the UK Liberal Democrat leadership contest have thrown their weight behind the controversial EU reform treaty.
Read article at theparliament.com

December 4, 2007

Slovenia to be among the first to ratify EU treaty: minister
(LJUBLJANA) - Upcoming European Union president Slovenia wants to be among the first to ratify the new EU treaty after European leaders sign it in Lisbon next week, Foreign Minister Dmitrij Rupel said Monday. "Our government will send the EU treaty to parliament on December 20," the Slovenian minister told a conference here. "That way, Slovenia will be among the first EU members to ratify the new reform treaty. That is one of our main responsibilities" as the European Union's next president, Rupel said. Slovenia, which joined the EU in 2004, is scheduled to take over its rotating presidency in January -- becoming the first of the bloc's 12 new members to hold the office.
Read article at eubusiness.com

November 27, 2007

EU treaty needs debate now – MPs
Parliament has to have an immediate debate on the EU reform treaty before it can be signed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown next month, MPs have said. The European scrutiny committee called the wording "ambiguous" and indicated that a "legal obligation" on the UK Parliament could be "inferred". It repeated its warning that national parliaments could be "marginalised".
Read article at BBC News (UK)
Comment: The committee's report comes two weeks before British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is due to sign the treaty, which then faces several weeks of UK parliamentary debate before it can be ratified. All 27 EU member states must ratify it by 2009 for it to come into effect.

November 6, 2007

EU leaders will fly across Europe just to sign treaty
The European Union opened itself up to criticism from eurosceptics and environmentalists yesterday after agreeing to split next month's summit of 27 heads of state and government between Lisbon and Brussels. Barring a last-minute change of heart, 26 presidents and prime ministers will fly by private jet to Lisbon, swiftly sign the contentious new EU treaty and hop back onto their planes, returning to Brussels for the normal sumptuous summit dinner and discussions about climate change, the Middle East crisis and the credit crunch.
Read article in the Guardian (UK)

November 5, 2007

Support for EU reform treaty has halved
Support for the treaty designed to enable the EU to act more efficiently has halved over the past two years. The Government will have a big task on its hands to persuade people to vote Yes in next year's referendum, according to The Irish Times, TNS mrbi opinion poll. Just 25 per cent of people say they will vote Yes to the EU Reform Treaty, agreed in Lisbon last month, while 13 per cent intend to vote No and a massive 62 per cent say they don't know or have no opinion. In a comparable poll on the EU Constitutional Treaty in March 2005, 46 per cent said they would vote Yes as against 12 per cent who would vote No and 42 per cent who had no opinion. Given that the content of the two treaties is almost identical, the sharp drop in support for the treaty indicates that the referendum result could be very close.
Read article in the Irish Times (Ireland)

October 30, 2007

Giscard: EU Treaty is the constitution rewritten
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, the architect of the abandoned European Constitution, has admitted that the document has been rewritten by EU leaders in a different order just to avoid the need for referendums. The statement by the former French President - who chaired the body of more than 100 European politicians that framed the original constitution - has led to new calls for Gordon Brown to grant the British people a vote.
Read article in the Daily Telegraph (UK)

October 30, 2007

New EU reform treaty to be ratified in parliament vote, Czech parliament votes
The lower chamber of Czech parliament voted Tuesday to ratify the new European Union Reform Treaty by a parliamentary vote rather than a nationwide referendum. Of the 150 lawmakers present in the 200-seat chamber, 108 favored the vote in parliament and none opposed it. In a separate decision, lawmakers voted 28-60 to reject a public vote on the issue.
Read article in the International Herald Tribune

October 27, 2007

British gov't urged to call referendum on the EU Reform Treaty
LONDON: Hundreds of people, including several legislators, held a protest outside Parliament on Saturday to demand a referendum in Britain on the EU's new Reform Treaty. As a bagpiper strode up and down, the protesters waved placards saying that Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the leader of the governing Labour Party, must call a referendum. One poster showed a picture of Brown with the word "Judas" underneath. Another said: "Britain betrayed: Parliamentary treachery. … Brown speaks with forked tongue."
Read article in the International Herald Tribune

October 24, 2007

Brown to deny Labour MPs free EU treaty vote
Gordon Brown plans to force the European Union Reform Treaty through the House of Commons by denying Labour MPs a free vote on the controversial document, it has emerged. The Prime Minister is facing a revolt from some backbenchers over the treaty, which has to be ratified in Parliament.
Read article in the Daily Telegraph (UK)
Comment: Challenged by David Cameron, the Conservative leader, to allow a free vote to the sizeable number of Labour MPs with doubts about the treaty, Mr Brown ducked the question. Downing Street later confirmed that "normal parliamentary procedures will apply," indicating that Labour whips will put pressure on MPs to back the Government over the treaty.

October 20, 2007

Treaty Yes vote vital for EU and Ireland, says Barroso
European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said yesterday an Irish vote in favour of the EU reform treaty was very important for Europe and for Irish interests, writes Jamie Smyth in Lisbon. He pledged to visit Ireland before a referendum on the treaty, which will streamline EU decision-making and set policy priorities. "I think this treaty gives more effectiveness to Europe. I believe that is very much to Irish interests," Mr Barroso told The Irish Times after EU leaders reached agreement on the final text of the treaty. The treaty must now be ratified by all 27 member states, although only the Republic is likely to hold a referendum. The vast majority of EU leaders insisted yesterday that they would ratify the treaty in their parliaments, a decision that reduces the risk that a No vote could provoke a new crisis in the EU.
Read article in The Irish Times (Ireland)

October 19, 2007

Brown: Blair would be great EU president
LISBON, Portugal - Let the jockeying begin! Will it be former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern or former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski? After agreeing on a European Union governing treaty, leaders began jostling Friday over who should become the first full-time president of the union — and Blair drew backing from his successor and the president of France.
Read article at Yahoo News

October 19, 2007

EU leaders agree new treaty deal
European Union leaders have reached a deal on a landmark treaty to reform the 27-member bloc, officials say. The agreement in Lisbon was sealed shortly after midnight after objections from Italy and Poland were overcome. The treaty is designed to replace the European Constitution that was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005 and will be formally signed on 13 December. It includes the creation of a new longer-term president of the European Council and an EU foreign policy chief. If what will become known as the Treaty of Lisbon is ratified by all member states, it will come into force in 2009.
Read article at BBC News (UK)

October 17, 2007

Socialist leader urges EU leaders to sign up to treaty
The leader of parliament's Socialist group has called on EU leaders to "stand firm" in defence of the mandate it has been given earlier this year. The message, from German member Martin Schulz, comes on the eve of the key summit in Lisbon on Thursday which is expected to ratify the controversial reform treaty. He said, "It is time to tell those who oppose EU integration that enough is enough. The EU cannot go on giving in to unreasonable demands.
Read article at theparliament.com
Comment: Senior Danish deputy Jens-Peter Bonde is among those who insist that the reform treaty is the same as the constitution famously rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005. "It is no different and, as such, should be put to a referendum in every member state," said Bonde, who is co-leader of the Independence-Democracy group. This is the only democratic option available."

October 17, 2007

Miliband dismay at comparison with Chamberlain over EU treaty
The normally calm foreign secretary David Miliband demanded an apology when a Labour committee chairman accused him of succumbing to EU bullying just as Neville Chamberlain had appeased Adolf Hitler. The row came in an evidence session in which Mr Miliband failed to convince the European scrutiny committee of MPs that Britain had successfully defended its so-called red lines ahead of the EU summit on the new treaty in Lisbon this week.
Read article in the Guardian (UK)

October 16, 2007

Miliband denies 'giving in' to EU
Foreign Secretary David Miliband has denied giving in to EU "bullying" and has told MPs that UK demands for the new treaty have been "respected". He was repeatedly challenged by members of the European Scrutiny Committee about Britain's so-called "red lines". Tory MP James Clappison said they were "in tatters" and suggested someone had been "asleep at the wheel".
Read article at BBC News (UK)

October 16, 2007

Brown 'dishonest' on EU vote, says Labour MP
Gordon Brown has been accused of "patent dishonesty" by a senior Labour backbencher over his refusal to grant a referendum on the EU treaty. Gisela Stuart, who helped draw up the defunct European constitution in 2004, condemned Mr Brown's Europe policy as part of a broader attack on his "indecisive" leadership, among growing signs of unrest among Labour MPs. She dismissed Britain's "red lines" - the treaty opt-outs which the Prime Minister claims make a popular vote unnecessary - as "red herrings", saying that they were also present in the earlier constitution on which Labour promised a referendum. "It's a matter of trust and integrity. A referendum was promised. It should be delivered," she wrote in today's London Evening Standard. "If Labour can't trust the people, why should the people trust Labour?"
Read article in the Daily Telegraph (UK)

October 15, 2007

EU accused of bullying Britain to water down stance on treaty
Gordon Brown was urged last night to fight back against "bullying tactics" by nations determined to water down British sovereignty in the European Union treaty. Last-minute changes to the Reform Treaty, which is due to be agreed at the end of the week, will make it harder for Britain to preserve the so-called red lines that the Prime Minister said will defend national control over justice and police systems, critics claimed. Britain faces new penalties, including a financial price, if it uses its hard-won ability to opt out of EU policies.
Read article in The Times (UK)

October 15, 2007

Cameron renews call on EU treaty
Gordon Brown has come under renewed pressure to hold a referendum on the newly drafted EU Reform Treaty. Conservative leader David Cameron said not to offer the country the chance to vote would be a failure of trust.
Read article at BBC News (UK)

October 12, 2007

Brown rules out vote on EU treaty
Gordon Brown will veto the proposed European Union treaty if it fails to safeguard Britain's no-go areas on further EU integration. The Prime Minister has dropped his previous threat to call a referendum on the treaty as a means of putting pressure on Britain's EU partners to protect his "red lines" at a summit of European leaders in Lisbon next week.
Read article in The Independent (UK)

October 11, 2007

UK 'likely to win' treaty demands
There is "every reason to believe" the UK will achieve the concessions it has demanded in the new EU treaty, the European Commission's president says. Opt-outs over areas including foreign policy and tax had been "hard fought for", Jose Manuel Barroso added after meeting Gordon Brown in Downing Street.
Read article at BBC News (UK)

October 9, 2007

EU treaty 'same as Constitution'
The EU treaty is "substantially equivalent" to the EU Constitution thrown out by Dutch and French voters in 2005, MPs have said. The European scrutiny committee said it should be "made clear" the UK can keep opt-outs of parts of the document. The Conservatives said the government was now "morally bound" to hold a referendum on the treaty, as had been promised on the constitution.
Read article at BBC News (UK)

October 5, 2007

Poland threatens to reject EU treaty
A European Union treaty meant to improve Europe's profile on the world stage was thrown into doubt Friday after Poland threatened to reject the draft agreement. "We are not happy with the current text, because elements we wanted are not in there," said a senior Polish diplomat, requesting anonymity. "We are not yet ready to approve this treaty in its current form."
Read article in the International Herald Tribune

October 2, 2007

Hague attacks government 'deceit' over EU treaty
William Hague today accused the government of "bare-faced political deceit" over the EU treaty as he promised a Conservative government would change the law to make a referendum compulsory. The shadow foreign secretary announced plans to change the law so that "never again could a government sign away powers to the EU without the British people's permission in a referendum".
Read article in The Guardian (UK)

October 2, 2007

EU lawyers agree on treaty text
Legal experts from the 27 countries of the European Union have agreed on a draft reform treaty. The treaty is set to replace the defunct European constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters. Portugal, which holds the EU presidency until the end of the year, hopes to get agreement on the treaty at an EU summit in Lisbon later this month.
Read article at BBC News (UK)

October 1, 2007

Two thirds of voters want EU referendum
Two thirds of Britons want to have a referendum on the new European Union reform treaty - including a majority of supporters from the main political parties, according to an exclusive YouGov poll.
Read article in the Daily Telegraph (UK)
Comment: The study found a majority in every major political party in favour of a referendum, from 85 per cent of Conservative voters, to 55 per cent of Labour supporters and 59 per cent of Liberal Democrat voters.

September 28, 2007

Call for Danish referendum on EU treaty
A high-ranking member of Denmark's governing Conservative Party called Friday for a referendum on the sweeping EU reform treaty. A referendum "is necessary in the long run in order to ensure popular support," Pia Christmas-Moeller, the party's spokeswoman on foreign and political affairs, told Danish daily Berlingske Tidende on Friday.
Read article at eubusiness.com
Comment: A poll published in July showed that a majority of Danes, or 52.7 percent, wanted a referendum to be held on the future treaty.

September 27, 2007

Scots may push for EU referendum
Gordon Brown is facing further embarrassment over his refusal to hold a referendum on the new European Union treaty with both Scotland and Northern Ireland looking to decide whether to hold their own votes. Both devolved administrations are considering holding their own non-binding "consultative polls" on whether to accept the new European Union reform treaty, due to be finalised next month.
Read article in the Daily Telegraph (UK)

September 25, 2007

Poland could scupper deal on EU treaty
Poland's requests for changes to a European Union treaty on institutional reforms are causing concern in EU capitals which fear that a forthcoming summit intended to complete the treaty with a flourish, may turn instead into a flop. EU governments want to put the finishing touches to the document in Lisbon on October 18-19, ending an ordeal that began in 2005 when Dutch and French voters rejected an earlier and grander version of the so-called Reform Treaty. "It will be a political nightmare if we don't get this right in Lisbon," said one diplomat involved in preparations for the summit. "The public won't be fooled."
Read article in the Financial Times (UK)

September 24, 2007

EU law bitter pill to take
OVER 100,000 people nationwide have signed a petition opposing EU plans to place restrictions on vitamins and minerals sold in health food stores. The petition is part of a campaign to stop the EU Supplements Directive coming into force here in less than two years.
Read article at independent.ie (Ireland)
Comment: The Irish Association of Health Stores, the GM-free Ireland group and other umbrella groups are now threatening a 'no' vote in Ireland's EU Treaty referendum.

September 22, 2007

Towns line up to host their own parish polls
The grass roots campaign to force the Prime Minister to hold a referendum on the proposed EU treaty received a huge boost last night with the news that an entire constituency is planning its own "parish poll". Alex Story, a prospective Tory candidate for Wakefield, West Yorks, is organising a vote for the constituency, which has a population of more than 60,000. "Everything is in place for the vote but we need to raise the funding, which will be about £30,000," he said. "I am confident I can get the money. We have to run our own vote because we would never get a referendum if we waited for the politicians to do it." His move came after the village of East Stoke in Dorset exploited a little-known law to force its district council to run a parish poll. Thursday's vote, which asked the 369 residents if they wanted a referendum, ended with 90 per cent of participants saying yes.
Read article in The Daily Telegraph (UK)
Comment: Under a little-known provision of the UK's 1972 Local Government Act, district councils in Britain are obliged to hold a poll if 10 or more local people vote for it.

September 21, 2007

Dutch cabinet rules out EU vote
The Dutch cabinet has decided against holding a referendum on the EU's new Reform Treaty, amid fears the public would reject it at the polls. Voters in the Netherlands and France rejected the treaty's predecessor - a proposed European constitution - two years ago, plunging the EU into crisis. Reports had indicated the Dutch public would vote against the new treaty too. The decision on a referendum now goes before the Dutch parliament, where many MPs are said to favour a public vote.
Read article at BBC News (UK)

September 12, 2007

Unions increase EU vote pressure
Union delegates have voted in favour of a call for a referendum on the EU treaty, increasing pressure on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to hold one. Mr Brown says it is not needed because the treaty proposals are very different to the failed EU constitution, on which a referendum had been promised. But the TUC backed a GMB motion which wants ministers to drop the opt-out on the charter of fundamental rights. The Tories, UKIP, and some Labour and Lib Dem MPs also back a referendum.
Read article at BBC News (UK)

September 12, 2007

Pro-Europeans launch fightback against calls for treaty referendum
Pro-Europeans are launching a fightback today against growing demands for a referendum on the new European Union treaty. The Coalition for the Reform Treaty will argue that the treaty is in Britain's interests as well as the EU's because it will lead to more efficient, effective and democratic decision-making. The long-awaited response by pro-European businessmen and politicians comes after the campaign in favour of a referendum gathered momentum during the summer.
Read article in The Independent (UK)

September 12, 2007

David Cameron plans to force EU referendum
David Cameron is planning a Parliamentary ambush over the new EU treaty in an attempt to force Gordon Brown to grant the British people a referendum. The Tory leader revealed his plans to mobilise the rapidly growing cross-party support for a nationwide vote in an exclusive interview on Telegraph TV. He pledged that within weeks of Parliament's return on Oct 9 he would force a Commons vote demanding a referendum on the successor treaty to the abandoned European Constitution.
Read article in The Daily Telegraph (UK)

September 11, 2007

EU gives up on 'metric Britain'
European Union commissioners have ruled that Britain can carry on using imperial measurements such as pints, pounds and miles. Europe's Industry Commissioner Gunter Verheugen said: "There is not now and never will be any requirement to drop imperial measurements." The decision will not affect current law on metric measurements, but means imperial equivalents can be used too. It follows years of wrangling between London and Brussels over metrication.
Read article at BBC News (UK)
Comment: A skeptic might argue that this concession is simply a desperate attempt to bribe the British people not to demand a referendum on the new European treaty, formerly known as the Constitution…

September 11, 2007

EU reform treaty in danger of 'collapse'
The EU reform treaty is in danger of "collapse" because of attempts by member states to "undermine" the text, a parliamentary committee heard. Critics say the treaty would hand over a host of extra powers to Brussels and is almost identical to the constitution rejected by Dutch and French voters in 2005. But a meeting on Tuesday of the constitutional affairs committee was told that attempts in Britain and Poland, in particular, to "unravel" the treaty could undermine attempts to reform EU decision-making.
Read article at theparliament.com

September 9, 2007

Mandelson dismisses EU referendum calls
Peter Mandelson, Britain's commissioner in Brussels, has dismissed calls for a referendum on the new EU treaty. He insisted that it did not amount to a "radical reform" of the relationship between the UK and Europe. In a rare display of unity with his old enemy Gordon Brown - and amid signs that EU leaders are joining forces to prevent the British people being given a say - the former Cabinet minister said many of those arguing for a referendum really wanted to pull out of the EU.
Read article in the Daily Telegraph (UK)

September 9, 2007

EU hopeful Polish vote will not hit reform
European Union foreign ministers have expressed confidence that the bloc would approve a treaty on institutional reform in spite of Poland's decision to hold an early national election. Some EU diplomats are concerned that, if the Polish election campaign were conducted in an intensely nationalistic atmosphere, it might be difficult to wrap up the treaty at an EU summit in Lisbon on October 18-19. Poland's conservative-populist government put up resistance to the introduction of new EU voting rules when members negotiated the treaty's terms in June. Officials are nervous that Polish politicians seeking re-election on October 21 will be tempted to demand new changes, creating the risk that the June agreement may not remain intact.
Read article in the Financial Times (UK)

September 6, 2007

All-party push for referendum on EU treaty puts fresh pressure on Brown
· Series of cinema adverts aims to reach 1m people
· Labour MPs criticised for joining campaign
Gordon Brown will come under pressure today to accede to a referendum on the new European Union treaty, when an all-party campaign is launched demanding that "politicians keep their promises". Labelled "I want a referendum", the campaign will run cinema adverts which will reach 1 million people, and focus on the demand for a vote, rather than the intricacies of the proposed treaty.
Read article in the Guardian (UK)

September 5, 2007

Gordon Brown in EU treaty warning
Gordon Brown has issued a warning to the leaders of France and Germany that he will have to call a referendum on the new EU treaty if they force Britain to cede more powers to Brussels. The Prime Minister revealed that he had told Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, and Nikolas Sarkozy, the French president, that he will use the "nuclear option" of a national vote if they try to force his arm in final negotiations next month. Mr Brown knows the warning will have carried weight because the likely result - a No vote from the British people - would throw the European project into turmoil.
Read article in the Daily Telegraph (UK)

September 3, 2007

Two thirds 'want EU treaty referendum'
Gordon Brown faces increasing public pressure over Europe with the publication of a new poll for The Daily Telegraph showing that almost two-thirds of voters want a referendum on the European Union reform treaty. The YouGov survey suggests that more than twice as many people would vote No in a referendum than would say Yes to more powers being transferred to Brussels. The poll comes as David Blunkett, the former home secretary, claimed the new EU treaty contains a "substantial amount" of the measures in the now-defunct Constitutional Treaty on which Labour promised a referendum at the 2005 general election.
Read article in the Daily Telegraph (UK)

August 31, 2007

Vaz adds to EU referendum calls
Former Europe Minister Keith Vaz has added his voice to those calling for a referendum on the new EU treaty. He told the BBC it was time for British people to be allowed to decide the UK's place in Europe "once and for all". The referendum could be held on the same day as the next general election, the Labour MP for Leicester East said.
Read article at BBC News (UK)

August 28, 2007

120 Labour MPs demand EU referendum
Gordon Brown is facing a deepening party split over Europe after it became clear that more than 120 Labour MPs, including several senior ministers, want a referendum on the new EU reform treaty. The figure - more than a third of the Parliamentary Party – was disclosed by Ian Davidson, a Scottish Labour MP who, despite being close to Mr Brown, is co-ordinating the strong internal campaign for the British people to be given a say. Mr Davidson, who has written to Mr Brown on behalf of the Labour rebels demanding major changes to the proposed EU Treaty – or alternatively a referendum – told The Daily Telegraph that support among his fellow MPs was running at levels similar to 2004 when Tony Blair had to give way and promise a plebiscite.
Read article in the Daily Telegraph (UK)

August 23, 2007

Brown rejects union EU vote call
Gordon Brown has rejected calls from two trade unions for the government to hold a referendum on the new EU treaty. The GMB and RMT had joined the Tories and UKIP in demanding a vote by tabling motions at the TUC's annual conference. They say the treaty is almost the same as the discarded EU constitution, on which a referendum was promised.
Read article at BBC News (UK)

August 22, 2007

CRITICS OF EU TREATY UNITE TO BACK PLANS FOR NATIONWIDE REFERENDUM CAMPAIGN
The cross-party Campaign for an Independent Britain (CIB) is spearheading plans for a series of rallies and events across the UK for a referendum on the European Union's so-called 'Reform Treaty'. CIB Chairman Dr Bob Spink MP (Castle Point) said today (Aug 22) that the Pro-Referendum Rally in London on Saturday October 27 would be the launch pad for a nationwide campaign to bring pressure to bear on the Government to hold a referendum. At the rally, public figures from across the political spectrum – including prominent Labour and Conservative MPs, business leaders and trade unionists – will unite to call for the British people to be given the final say on ratification of the EU Treaty.
Read news release at proreferendumrally.co.uk

July 27, 2007

EU treaty only available in French
The controversial EU treaty has only been made available to MPs in French. The treaty, said by critics to be a constitution in disguise, was tabled in Brussels last Monday, but only in one language - a contravention of EU rules stating all documents must be published in a minimum of German, French and English. Those rules have been temporarily suspended in a frantic bid to get the treaty agreed by October.
Read article at politics.co.uk

July 24, 2007

First translation and analysis of new version of the Constitutional Treaty: 96% of articles are copied from the original EU Constitution
Responding to the publication of the new version of the European Constitution and the launch of the intergovernmental conference, Open Europe has produced the first English language translation of the new version of the Constitutional Treaty, and the first analysis of its contents - which suggests that it is almost exactly the same as the original European Constitution. The analysis finds that only 10 out of 250 proposals in the new treaty are different from the proposals in the original EU Constitution. In other words, 96% of the text is the same as the rejected Constitution.
Read press release on the Open Europe website (UK)

July 24, 2007

Lisbon hails lifting of EU treaty obstacles
Europe is poised to shake off years of "paralysis" and tackle global challenges, EU foreign ministers said at the presentation of a new draft reform treaty on Monday. With Poland dropping a key objection to the treaty, it should be agreed in record time by October, said Portugal, which holds the rotating presidency of the bloc. Luis Amado, Lisbon's foreign minister, said: "It is vital that the Union should not allow itself to be paralysed once again on account of internal, institutional problems." He said that the treaty negotiators could not deviate "one millimetre" from the mandate given by Europe's leaders at a Brussels summit last month amid fears that some countries could attempt to unpick part of the deal during technical negotiations over the summer.
Read article in the Financial Times (UK)

July 23, 2007

EU treaty must be re-written, warn MPs
A cross-party group of MPs is calling on Gordon Brown to renegotiate urgently the wording of the new European Union treaty because they say it risks relegating national parliaments to mere satellites of Brussels. The demand came as EU foreign ministers, including David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, prepared to meet in Brussels today to launch the formal Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) that over the next few months will decide the precise treaty language.
Read article in the Daily Telegraph (UK)

July 18, 2007

Brown will struggle to deny EU referendum
Gordon Brown will have "problems" denying voters a referendum on the new European Union treaty, the architect of the old constitution has confessed. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing yesterday admitted that differences between the new treaty and the constitution, which was rejected by French and Dutch voters two years ago, "are few and far between and more cosmetic than real". Mr Giscard, the draftsman of the original constitution, acknowledges that Mr Brown will face difficulties with British citizens who were promised a vote on the first constitution, only to be denied a referendum on the new treaty. "As the substance, in institutional terms, is similar or even the same, countries that feel this change has to be approved by a referendum have a problem that they have to settle," he said.
Read article in the Daily Telegraph (UK)

July 17, 2007

EU banks on 'unreadable' treaty
The revived EU constitution has deliberately been made "unreadable" to help fend off demands for a referendum, according to the former Italian prime minister, Giuliano Amato. Mr Amato, who is now interior minister in Italy, has been a central figure in all stages of the year-long process of reviving the constitution, heading the 16-strong group of politicians that helped prepare the new EU treaty.
Read article in the Daily Telegraph (UK)

July 11, 2007

Brown hints at vote on EU treaty
Gordon Brown raised the possibility of a referendum on the new European treaty yesterday – but only if he is forced to make last-minute concessions by Britain's EU partners. In what will be seen as a warning to other countries not to force his hand, Mr Brown said there would be "no need" for a national vote if the EU remained faithful to the agreement signed by Tony Blair in Brussels last month.
Read article in the Daily Telegraph (UK)

July 11, 2007

Parliament gives green light to IG
The European parliament has formally backed the convening of an inter-governmental conference (IGC) to draw up a reform treaty. MEPs voted by 526 votes to 138 with 26 abstentions in favour of constitutional affairs committee chair Jo Leinen's report, giving the green light for treaty talks to begin. "This was a good day for European unification," said parliament president Hans-Gert Poettering shortly after the plenary vote Wednesday lunchtime.
Read article at theparliament.com

July 11, 2007

Barroso hails the European 'empire'
Gordon Brown was under renewed pressure to hold a referendum last night after José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, hailed the European Union as an "empire". The comments from the most senior EC official in Brussels will infuriate the Prime Minister as he tries to fight off growing demands for a referendum by denying a planned new EU treaty has constitutional implications. "We are a very special construction unique in the history of mankind," said Mr Barroso yesterday. "Sometimes I like to compare the EU as a creation to the organisation of empire. We have the dimension of empire."
Read article in the Daily Telegraph (UK)

July 3, 2007

'Don't tell British about the EU treaty'
The new European Union treaty will mean "transfers of sovereignty" from Britain and Gordon Brown is right to hide the fact from the public, an EU leader admitted yesterday. Jean-Claude Juncker, Luxembourg's premier and leader of the bloc of 13 single currency members, spoke out as the Prime Minister faced rising calls for a referendum on the treaty drawn up following the rejection of the old EU constitution by French and Dutch voters in 2005. Mr Juncker said he supported public debate on the treaty - except in Britain. "I am astonished at those who are afraid of the people: one can always explain that what is in the interest of Europe is in the interests of our countries," he told Belgian newspaper Le Soir. "Britain is different. Of course there will be transfers of sovereignty. But would I be intelligent to draw the attention of public opinion to this fact?"
Read article in the Daily Telegraph (UK)

June 26, 2007

Blair rejects calls for referendum over new EU 'amending treaty'
Tony Blair brushed aside calls for a referendum on reform of the European Union as he said it was "completely and utterly absurd" to claim it transferred power to Brussels.
Read article in The Independent (UK)

June 23, 2007

Ireland to hold referendum on EU treaty
The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has said a referendum will be held some time next year on a new EU treaty to reform the bloc's institutions.
Read article at RTÉ News (Ireland)

June 23, 2007

EU leaders agree on reform treaty
European Union leaders have reached agreement in Brussels on an outline of new rules to govern the 27-member bloc. At dawn on Saturday they announced a compromise to delay until 2014 a new voting system that reduces Poland's influence - the main stumbling block. Other proposals envisage a long-term president and a foreign affairs head. The new treaty, expected to be finalised later this year, preserves much of the planned EU constitution, which was rejected by voters in 2005. The treaty will need to be ratified by each of the EU's member states, before entering into force in mid-2009.
Read article at BBC News (UK)

June 20, 2007

Support for EU rises after economic recovery
Public backing for the European Union has risen sharply to its highest level since the 1990s, providing a positive backdrop for what threatens to be an acrimonious Brussels summit starting tomorrow. Support for EU membership has risen to 57 per cent, up four points since last autumn, with above-average increases in Spain, Germany, Poland and Britain, according to an extensive poll. The survey suggests that the economic recovery has changed Europe's mood, and that citizens are less worried about losing their jobs and more willing to contemplate widening the EU's borders further to include poorer countries.
Read article in the Financial Times (UK)

June 20, 2007

Insults fly as Britain feels the heat
Britain and Poland were accused of being the obstacles to a deal on Europe ’s future last night as the preparations for tomorrow’s crucial summit became increasingly rocky. The head of the European Commission told Britain directly that it was not being “intelligent” in threatening to block parts of the revived EU constitution. But Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary, accused most of the EU of being “in denial” about the failure of the previous constitution.
Read article in The Times (UK)

June 20, 2007

Warning to EU members over treaty
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has told EU members not to block progress towards an EU treaty. Mr Barroso warned against taking a tough line into negotiations, telling member states that opposition to the treaty was not in their interest.
Read article at BBC News (UK)

June 19, 2007

Brown to defy Blair with public vote on EU
Gordon Brown defied Tony Blair last night by making clear he is prepared to give the British people a referendum on plans to resurrect the European constitution . Geoff Hoon, the Minister for Europe, revealed that Mr Brown was ready to stage a national poll if Europe's leaders try to force through a deal that was unacceptable to Britain at this week's EU summit. Last night, sources close to Mr Brown confirmed his position, with one describing Mr Hoon's comments as a "sensible" analysis of the situation. Europe's leaders know such a move would kill off any hopes of a treaty because the British people would almost certainly vote it down.
Read article in the Daily Telegraph (UK)

June 18, 2007

EU citizens want referendum on treaty
Plans by Europe's leaders to push a reworked European Union constitution on to the statute book without further referendums are strongly opposed by European citizens, according to a new FT/Harris opinion poll.
Read article in the Financial Times (UK)

June 17, 2007

Brown 'could hold EU referendum'
Prime Minister-in-waiting Gordon Brown could still hold a referendum on the future of the EU, Europe Minister Geoff Hoon has said. "Clearly a judgement has got to be made in terms of what is in the final package," Mr Hoon told the BBC. But the revised EU treaty would have to be in Britain's national interests for the government to accept it, Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said.
Read article at BBC News (UK)

June 16, 2007

Blair touted for EU president job
Tony Blair is being actively touted for the position of the European Union's first full-time president by new French president Nicolas Sarkozy, it has been reported. Mr Sarkozy has discussed the idea with other EU leaders, including German chancellor Angela Merkel, prior to next week's summit in Berlin, according to the Financial Times. However Downing Street insisted that Mr Blair had no interest in taking on a new, high-profile political job when he steps down as Prime Minster on June 27.
Read article in the Guardian (UK)

June 16, 2007

Merkel urges EU treaty compromise
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged EU leaders to be ready to compromise on a new constitutional treaty before a crucial summit. Mrs Merkel met Polish President Lech Kaczynski in Germany for crucial talks on the simplified treaty. Germany, the current holder of the EU presidency, wants states to agree to a road map for a new constitution at next week's summit in Brussels. Mr Kaczynski has threatened to veto any deal reducing Poland's voting rights.
Read article at BBC News (UK)

June 15, 2007

EU treaty referendum is ruled out
Downing Street has indicated the treaty that emerges from next week's EU summit will not be put to a referendum. Tony Blair promised a public vote on the EU constitution in 2004 - before it was rejected by France and Holland . Number 10 said the document expected to be agreed next week would be an "amending" treaty rather than a "constitutional" treaty.
Read article at BBC News (UK)

June 14, 2007

Merkel warns EU over constitution
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that agreement on a new EU constitutional treaty was "still not in sight" ahead of an important EU summit. But Mrs Merkel told parliament in Berlin she hoped the summit would take a clear step forward and produce a "roadmap" to a new treaty by 2009.
Read article at BBC News (UK)

June 13, 2007

Blair must ignore public opinion, says Barroso
Tony Blair must ignore British public opinion at a summit showdown over a new European Union treaty next week, the president of the European Commission said yesterday. José Manuel Barroso told an audience of national and euro-parliamentarians that he hoped the Prime Minister "will have the courage" to scrap more national vetoes and to sign up to an EU bill of rights despite public hostility.
Read article in the Daily Telegraph (UK)

June 12, 2007

EU must regain citizens' trust says former parliament president
EU citizens are more interested in what Europe can do for them rather than the intricacies of how it works, according to former MEP Pat Cox. Ahead of the upcoming key EU summit on the stalled constitution, this is the conclusion of an extensive public consultation exercise as part of the European commission’s Plan D strategy. Speaking at Tuesday’s launch of consultation’s findings, Pat Cox, a former parliament president, used a motoring metaphor to sum up public opinion on the protracted debate over a European constitution. "People are not especially interested in the car engine but, rather, are more focused on its ability to travel to the desired policy destinations," he said. "In short, they are results and not process oriented."
Read article at theparliament.com

June 11, 2007

Poland to veto EU Constitution talks unless proposed voting system changed – PM
Poland will veto talks over the future European Union Constitution treaty unless Warsaw wins an ongoing battle over voting clout among EU countries, Polish Prime Minister, Jaroslaw Kaczynski said Monday, confirming media reports. "We hope that we will not find ourselves in a situation where we will be forced to refuse our support for the mandate [to start EU Constitution negotiations]," Kaczynski told reporters, following a meeting with Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer. Poland firmly opposes the double-majority voting system as proposed in the European Union Constitution draft, which adopted in June 2004 and rejected in French and Dutch referenda a year later. As opposed to a system, which would require support consisting of majority of EU states and 65% of the Union's citizens to pass EU regulations, Poland has proposed the so-called square root system, according to which the number of votes allocated to each state would be calculated by taking the square root of the population of that particular country.
Read article at Wirtualna Polska (Poland)

June 11, 2007

UK 'not on our own' on EU treaty
Tony Blair wants an amended European Union treaty without any elements of a constitution, his spokesman has said. The comment comes after French President Nicolas Sarkozy said he and Mr Blair had reached agreement on the "framework" of a new treaty. The spokesman said other member states held the same position, adding people should "get out of the mindset that we are on our own on this - we're not". The treaty is to be discussed at an EU summit later this month.
Read article at BBC News (UK)

June 11, 2007

Slovenian, Swedish PMs Call for Compromise on EU Constitution
Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa said after talks with his Swedish counterpart Fredrik Reinfeldt on Tuesday, 5 June that both countries supported the German EU presidency in its efforts to find a compromise for the EU constitution. "Slovenia in particular hopes that the solution will be found this month," Jansa told the press, referring to the EU summit in June. Even though Sweden has not ratified the treaty and Slovenia has, the document has been signed and it enjoys strong support in parliament, Reinfeldt said. According to Reinfeldt, Sweden supports the German EU presidency in its efforts to downsize the treaty and take away provisions that make people feel that a "super-state" is being created. However, Sweden wants to preserve the essence of the existing treaty.
Read article in Slovenia Business Week

June 11, 2007

Portugal calls for clear EU treaty commitment from member states
The incoming Portuguese EU presidency has indicated it is against opening formal treaty negotiations unless EU leaders meeting in Brussels in two week's time clearly commit themselves to agreeing a new institutional settlement. "We need a clear commitment by all 27 [member states] on the general endeavour," said Portuguese EU ambassador Alvaro de Mendoca on Monday (11 June) at a European Policy Centre meeting. Under a general plan pushed by current EU presidency Germany and to be put to the test at the forthcoming 21-22 June summit, EU leaders should agree the need for a new treaty, close off the bulk of the original constitution as non-negotiable, discuss a set of open issues and get the whole exercise done and dusted by the end of the year. A series of aspects are muddying the waters however, particularly defining what everyone means by a "simplified treaty" - the term that member states are increasingly using to describe the future agreement - and how to reconcile various member states' red lines.
Read article at euobserver.com

June 11, 2007

Barroso waves off notion of 'United States of Europe'
José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, predicted Monday that agreement would eventually be reached on a stripped-down EU constitution, which he acknowledged could not include symbols of statehood such as a flag or an anthem if it were to win approval. Underlining that a "United States of Europe" was an unrealistic goal, he conceded that allowing some European governments like Britain to opt out of the most sensitive parts of the treaty could be the only way to get it passed. He warned Britain and Poland, which are wary of the charter, that the policies they favor in Europe could be undermined if they were not willing to compromise.
Read article in the International Herald Tribune

June 11, 2007

Adamkus, Gyurcsány, Prodi back Merkel in fast progress on EU treaty
Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said Monday that the European Union urgently needed a new constitutional treaty, while Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány warned that Europe 's citizens saw leading politicians as „bogged down” on the issue. Prodi and Gyurcsány were addressing a press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus in Berlin before meeting to discuss preparations for the EU summit in Brussels next week. „If we don't make a step forward, we will make a step back,” Prodi said, adding, however, that he was „much more confident” of progress on the constitution than he had been six months earlier. Gyurcsány stressed the need to „preserve as much as possible of the treaty,” noting that Hungary had been the second EU country to ratify the original treaty, rejected in referenda in France and the Netherlands two years ago.
Read article in the Budapest Business Journal

June 8, 2007

Parliament refuses rewritten constitution
The European parliament voted on Thursday to oppose any deal on the EU constitution that significantly watered down the orignal text, Les Echos reports. The paper calls parliament’s move a “desperate” bid to salvage the text ahead of this month’s EU summit, where leaders are expected to agree to start negotiations on a new treaty.
Read article at theparliament.com

May 24, 2007

EU treaty first says Sarkozy
French president Nicolas Sarkozy has said he will back plans for a ‘simplified’ EU treaty. Speaking at a press conference in Brussels with European commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso, the new French president vowed to work towards a treaty deal, leaving other controversial issues off the table until an agreement has been reached. “We [have] lost too much time…the situation [with the EU treaty] must be unblocked”, he said. Sarkozy added that “a simplified treaty is the only possible solution” allowing France to ratify via the parliament.
Read article at eupolitix.com

May 23, 2007

MEPs press Balkenende on EU treaty
MEPs are urging Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende to help salvage as much as possible of the European constitution. The Hague favours slimming down the original constitution text to a mini-treaty, leaving aside its most polemic elements such as the European foreign minister. At a hearing in Strasbourg, parliament's EPP-ED group leader Joseph Daul urged the Dutch premier to help save “the best bits of the constitutional treaty” at a crunch EU summit next month. Socialist group leader Martin Schulz said Balkenende should accept a treaty “with no anthem, no flag and a foreign minister with a different title.” “The crucial issue is not the title but the substance," he told Balkenende.
Read article at eupolitix.com

May 22, 2007

Prodi hints at 2-tier EU if charter talks fail
A vanguard of European Union members could move ahead with closer integration if EU leaders fail to agree next month on a new treaty to reform the bloc's institutions, Prime Minister Romano Prodi of Italy said Tuesday. Addressing the European Parliament, Prodi appealed to the 27 leaders to reach a deal at a June 21-22 summit meeting preserving the key features of the EU's proposed constitution, which was rejected by French and Dutch voters. Those reforms include a long-term president of the EU, a foreign minister, a more democratic voting system and a bigger say for national Parliaments in European affairs, as well as removing national vetoes on justice and police cooperation. Prodi said Italy and the 17 other nations that have ratified the charter would not accept a "downward revision" of the substance of the constitutional treaty, designed to give the EU stronger leadership and a streamlined decision-making system. "If this compromise does not convince us, we will not sign it," he said. "At this point, a vanguard of countries could turn out to be the best way to proceed toward a more integrated union, on condition that the door remains open to those countries willing to join later."
Read article in the International Herald Tribune

May 22, 2007

Ex-EU parliament president calls for renamed treaty
An intergovernmental conference should be urgently convened to push through a renamed European constitution, according to MEP Enrique Baron Crespo. Crespo, along with German member Elmar Brok, is parliament’s rapporteur on the stalled EU treaty. Speaking at a news conference in Strasbourg today, Crespo, a Socialist deputy, insisted that any new document should not deviate from the treaty already ratified by 18 of the EU’s 27 member states and backed by another four. In order to win over voters in those countries which had rejected the constitution, such as France and the Netherlands , he suggests that the name "constitution" be replaced by a new name such as a "Treaty Plus".
Read article at eupolitix.com

May 13, 2007

Merkel's pushes for a new EU constitution
Angela Merkel's drive to revive the EU constitution enters a crucial new phase this week as envoys from the bloc's 27 states meet to iron out differences and the newly elected French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, pays a visit. With less than six weeks to go until the German chancellor presents her "road map" for a new treaty, diplomats say a rough consensus has emerged around a pared-down version of the charter that was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005. Elements of the original treaty that hint at EU statehood, like its "constitution" title, a European flag and hymn, and the creation of a new EU "minister of foreign affairs," appear likely to fall away amid objections from countries like Britain. No country is seriously talking about expanding the scope of the rejected draft anymore, since it has become clear that a new treaty will give Brussels less rather than more authority. But many contentious issues remain.
Read article in the International Herald Tribune

May 11, 2007

Unforgiving Europe may yet see more of Blair
In virtually his last act as British prime minister, Tony Blair next month hopes to sign a European treaty which - according to some hopeful aides - might offer him a tantalising job as the first "president" of Europe . To Mr Blair's critics the idea of him representing the European Union is absurd: this is a British leader who refused to take his country into the euro and whose support for the Iraq war contributed to a continental split. Yet Mr Blair's allies claim a number of EU leaders have privately raised the idea of him becoming the first full-time president of the European Council. "It's still a long way off, but you never know," said one.
Read article in the Financial Times (UK)

April 17, 2007

Blair plan to avoid referendum by calling for amended EU treaty
Tony Blair yesterday urged the EU to abandon plans for a new constitution in favour of changes to existing treaties to make the expanded Europe of 27 countries work. The prime minister called for a new "amending treaty", which could be pushed through without a referendum in Britain.
Read article in the Guardian (UK)

March 25, 2007

EU leaders call for rapid reforms
EU leaders have adopted a declaration calling for some of the reforms proposed in the bloc's ill-fated constitution to be carried out by 2009. The "Berlin Declaration" was issued to mark 50 years of the union, which was founded by the 1957 Treaty of Rome. It says the EU should be placed on a "renewed common basis" before the 2009 elections to the European Parliament. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said a conference to agree a new treaty could be held later this year.
Read article at BBC News (UK)

March 9, 2007

Merkel's push for EU constitution
European leaders took the first steps towards reviving elements of the European Union constitution last night as they prepared to make a "clear commitment" to look again at how to strengthen its role in the world. Over dinner in Brussels, the 27 heads of state were told by Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, whose country holds the EU presidency, that Europe must quickly re-address issues left unresolved when the constitution was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005. Mrs Merkel told fellow EU leaders, including Tony Blair, that a statement later this month to celebrate the community's 50th birthday should include a pledge to return to the thorny questions of how to equip Europe's institutions for a membership of 27 nations.
Read article in the Daily Telegraph (UK)

February 28, 2007

EU constitution: Where member states stand
The European constitution was knocked off course when France and the Netherlands rejected it in referendums in May and June 2005, but European leaders are now discussing ways of reviving it in full or in part. This could mean resurrecting the original text, with minor changes, or drafting a new one. On the other hand, some countries argue there is no urgent need for institutional reform and that the EU should concentrate instead on policies that deliver immediate practical benefits for citizens. So far, 16 countries have completed ratification, two of them by referendum; two have very nearly finished ratifying it; and two have rejected it. That leaves seven countries where the constitution is on ice.
Read article and see map at BBC News to find out the state of play in each country (UK)

January 26, 2007

New call to save EU constitution
The 18 EU countries that have approved the bloc's draft constitution have urged the nine other members to help revive the entire beleaguered document. Representatives of the states, meeting in Spain, called for the other nine members not to scrap the constitution but to help build on it.
Read article at BBC News (UK)

January 25, 2007

Constitution 'key for EU success'
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned Europe it faces a "historic failure" if it does not revive the deadlocked European constitution. Setting out her plans for Germany's presidency of the EU, she said the bloc should agree on a new charter before the 2009 European elections. She said the EU was a success story, embodying the continent's values of freedom, variety and tolerance.
Read article at BBC News (UK)