30 November 2006 - Green Party Euro-MP Caroline Lucas has warned EU leaders to reject German plans to relaunch the EU Constitution during its Presidency of the union, which begins in January.

Germany will take over the rotating Presidency of the EU in a few weeks and its Government has already stated that the relaunch of the EU Constitutional will be one of the key priorities on its six-month agenda.

But Dr Lucas, South-East England ’s MEP and an advisory board member to the pro-European think-tank Centre for a Social Europe, said voters in France and The Netherlands had already rejected the pro-business plan – and that any attempt to relaunch the constitution would be unpopular, wasteful and would only serve to weaken voters’ confidence in the EU.

She said: “The proposed Constitution was abandoned after it was soundly rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands last year.

“By rejecting a treaty that would have undermined local, regional and national interests in favour of promoting economic neo-liberalism and a commitment to free trade, we took a decisive first step to reinventing the EU – and ensuring it enjoys the legitimacy and support of its citizens.

“We were promised a ‘period of reflection’ and a new debate on the EU’s future direction: to try and salvage the proposed treaty’s good ideas – direct access for petitioners to the legislative process, for example – whilst listening to citizens’ wishes and placing sustainable development and social welfare and justice as its overarching goals.

“This hasn’t happened, and until it does any attempt to re-introduce the earlier document is wasteful and contemptuous of voters’ wishes. Undoubtedly we need a constitution – a document which defines the rights and responsibilities of citizens, nations and the EU and which sets out its core principles, institutions and mechanisms, whilst commanding popular support – but this wasn’t it, and we mustn’t allow the German Presidency to make the same mistakes again.”

ENDS