EU moves towards deal on 2009 deadline for new treaty
Foreign ministers are set to agree on a 2009 deadline for changes to the EU treaty, while extending the so-called "reflection period" on the future of the union by one year, according to Dutch foreign minister Bernard Bot.
"People think that before 2009 there should be clarity as to whether there should be a new treaty or a new instrument on the table," Mr Bot told reporters after talks with his EU counterparts in Klosterneuburg near Vienna.
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"It would be sensible to know before 2009 what kind of instruments we should need, in other words: are we going to continue with the constitution or do we need a new treaty?" he said.
"The reflection period will be extended for one year in any case," he stated, referring to the breathing pause EU leaders agreed last year after France and the Netherlands rejected the EU constitution in referendums.
But the consensus among member states is that in 2007, the reflection should stop, followed by concrete institutional reform plans, he indicated.
"What people want is to say that in June [2007] we have now reflected enough."
The Dutch minister indicated that the Germany could at the end of its 2007 presidency present a "road map" how to proceed with institutional reform until 2009.
Divisions on substance
But the institutional 2007-2009 timeframe conceals deep differences on the substance of treaty reforms.
"I assume that the German presidency will be mandated during the first half of 2007 to make at the end of the German presidency a solid proposal on how to continue the ratification [of the constitution] process," said German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier before the meeting.
Mr Steinmeier was backed by Luxembourg's foreign minister Jean Asselborn, who called for a decision at the next EU leaders summit on 15-16 June on "what we are going to do in June 2007 to have a constitution in 2009."
Mr Bot reiterated, however, that "the Netherlands will not put the constitutional treaty for ratification again."
Asked whether a new treaty could be named "constitution," Mr Bot said "I don't believe it makes sense to talk about constitutions."
Signalling a tough battle between two camps of member states he stated "you will see that states which have already ratified the constitution will put pressure on France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Poland, which have no intention to ratify the treaty."
He indicated institutional reforms could also be extremely minimal, only adapting the size of the commission and member states' voting weights - which is necessary before any EU enlargement after the accession of Romania and Bulgaria.
"We can proceed with the [EU's current] Nice treaty whether we are 28 or 30, that doesn't matter," he said.
Commission justice plan to fail
Meanwhile, a flagship European Commission plan to shift more competences on justice and criminal matters to the EU level under the current treaty has "no chance," senior diplomats said.
Brussels has proposed using the so-called passerelle clause in the present Nice treaty which provides for a reduction of national justice vetoes, if all member states agree unanimously.
But Germany and Ireland are strongly against the plan with sources saying that both countries only agreed to stronger EU powers in the constitution in this area because they got "other things in return".
"We can only take the decision on the passerelle with unanimity. I have the impression that for the time being this not yet fully there," said Mr Bot.