Margot Wallström
Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy

European Commission's reaction on the Duff / Voggenhuber report on the period of reflection

Mr President, Honourable Members,

I am pleased to join you in this first Plenary of the year to comment on the Duff / Voggenhuber report on the period of reflection.

But first, before I put forward my remarks on this excellent report, let me wish you, Mr President, and all Members of this Parliament, an excellent year 2006. I hope our cooperation will continue to be fruitful and that together, in good understanding, we will successfully face the challenges of this year.

Duff / Voggenhuber report

I welcome the Duff / Voggenhuber report on the period of reflection and the resolution submitted for your vote. I already had the opportunity to discuss this report, especially with the Members of the Constitutional Committee. I would like to underline the considerable progress made since the initial considerations and congratulate the co-rapporteurs for the job they have done and their ability to take on board the many views expressed through intense discussions in Committee.

It is with great interest that I read the resolution, which contains many interesting recommendations. I will not comment on the entire document but limit my remarks to four points:

1. Firstly, we all wish to achieve a "constitutional settlement", to make Europe more transparent, more democratic and more efficient. The question is how we can achieve this settlement after the French and Dutch no votes.

I was happy to see that all options regarding the Constitution remain open in your resolution. During the reflection period, it is essential to listen to citizens, social partners, political parties, national and local parliaments without pre-judging the result of the wide dialogue and debate. Otherwise, this exercise will loose all its interest.

I also took note of your favourite option. Maintaining the Constitution however will not be possible without French and Dutch support, if necessary with additional clarifications and measures. Recent Eurobarometer surveys showed that European citizens' support of the concept for a constitution for the EU has increased over the past five months (63%, +2 points). Therefore, as it was said many times in the Constitutional Committee, it is important to change the context rather then the text. That is why the dialogue has to focus on the European project rather than on institutional reform, on the ultimate objective rather than on the instruments to deliver it. It is only after this listening exercise, based on the results of national debates, that we will be able to draw conclusions on the best "constitutional settlement" for Europe. That is also why the Commission is willing to focus on policy priorities, addressing citizens concerns on growth, employment and security.

2. Secondly, I fully share your resistance to proposals of core groups of certain Member States. What we want is a Europe for everyone, not just for some. The Union is in the process of consolidating the most recent accession process, and we still have to work hard to ensure the smooth integration of new Member States. My view is that any enhanced co-operation, in all circumstances, must be undertaken within the existing treaties and remain open to all Member States. Be sure that the Commission and myself will not support any proposal of enhanced cooperation outside the EU institutional framework.

3. Thirdly, it seems reasonable to me to draft final conclusions on the reflection period in 2007, under the German or Portuguese Presidency. The June 2006 European Council is clearly a major milestone in this process but it should not be the end of it. Of course, it will be up to the European Council to decide on any potential extension of the reflection period beyond June 2006, extension already suggested by the Austrian Presidency.

In any case, as announced in Plan D, the Commission will prepare a communication for the June European Council setting out its thinking on the initial feedback received during the period of reflection. This will be based on the national visits currently undertaken by the President and myself, a special Eurobarometer report, discussion forums and the 9th May Conferences. This synthesis report should explain the background and approach taken by the Commission over the last year outline the initial results of the listening exercise and provide a series of conclusions for the Austrian Presidency on the next steps to be taken. This will complement the factual report to be prepared by the Austrian Presidency based on contributions from the Member States.

4. Fourthly, and this will be my last remark on your report, I support your rejection of a piecemeal implementation of the Constitution. The reason for that is simple: respect. Respect for those who said no and for those who already ratified; respect for the institutional balance.

"Cherry picking" could give the impression that the Union is trying to circumvent the results of national referenda, and it risks impairing the overall institutional balance. We should respect the difference between our Institutions - and the Institutions in the Member States. And most of all, when we embark on different praiseworthy initiatives and projects, we should always respect each country's democratic traditions and provisions. All of us play important but different roles.

Thank you.