Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, June 14, 2003
EU Forum Reaches Deal on First EU Constitution
Deputies from current and future European Union (EU) members in a Convention on the Future of Europe agreed a historic first draft EU constitution on Friday, the convention's president said.
Deputies from current and future European Union (EU) members in a Convention on the Future of Europe agreed a historic first draft EU constitution on Friday, the convention's president said.
"After hearing all the speeches today...I will go to present in your name to the European Council in Thessaloniki our joint work as the foundation of a future treaty creating a constitution of Europe," Valery Giscard d'Estaing, chairman of the 105-member convention, announced at the forum's final plenary session.
The forum, aimed to draft a constitution as a blueprint for an enlarged EU in the future, was launched in February last year under a plan adopted at a EU summit in Belgium in December 2001.
After more than 15 months of heated debates, delegates from current 15 EU nations and 10 future members finally struck the deal, defining what the EU will be and who will be responsible for an enlarging European bloc.
The adopted draft constitutional treaty is due to be presented to EU leaders at their summit in Thessaloniki, Greece, on June 20-21.
The 25 current and future EU members will have the final say on the draft at an inter-governmental conference starting in October.