English

PRESS RELEASE 
  

DRAFT TREATY OF NICE -  
WRONG DIRECTION 
  

The Intergroup "European Constitution", gathering more than 130 MEPs of all political parties within the EP, considers the Nice draft Treaty as being not only unsatisfactory and unsufficient, but also that it goes in the wrong direction. 

The draft upon which the Heads of States and governments have agreed does not fulfil any of the requirements for wide institutional reform of the EU. According to the Intergroup, the Nice draft Treaty does not enable EU enlargement.   

At its meeting during the plenary session in Strasbourg, the Intergroup especially criticised the  drawback of the Nice draft in comparison with the current treaties, in particular reinforcement of national governments' role within the EU. It notes that the increased marginalisation of the Commission and the Parliament weakens the community method and reinforces the democratic deficit. 

Keeping the veto right in essential matters is considered as a major hindering for EU handling ability and subsequently for enlargement. It will be difficult for the proposed QMV system in the Council to work in practice.  

The Intergroup has agreed upon a strategy aming at taking all possible measures within the EP immediately, in close co-operation with national parliaments, in order to open a drafting procedure of a European Constitution which should be inspired by the Convention method.  
 
 
 
 
  

Steering committee:  
Carlos CARNERO GONZALEZ (PSE, E), Andrew DUFF (ELDR, UK),  
Monica FRASSONI (Verts, B), Alain LAMASSOURE (PPE, F),  
Jo LEINEN (PSE, D), Cecilia MALMSTRÖM (ELDR, S),  
Mario MANTOVANI (PPE, I), Mihail PAPAYANNAKIS (GUE, GR) 

Intergroup Secretariat  
Tel : (32)2-508 30 30 - Fax : (32)2-512 66 73