Luxembourg calls off EU constitution conference
Constitution square in Luxembourg - the small state is wary of offending its big neighbour Germany (Photo: EUobserver.com)
MARK BEUNDERMAN
23.01.2007 @ 09:26 CET
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Luxembourg has called off a planned February meeting on the EU constitution in order to avoid the "impression" of working against the German EU presidency, while this week's "friends of the constitution" meeting in Madrid continues to stir controversy.
The Luxembourg conference, scheduled for 27 February, was meant as a follow-up to a gathering of 18 EU states supporting the constitutional treaty which will take place as planned this Friday (26 January) in Madrid.
Spain and Luxembourg - the only two countries which approved the charter by referendum - took the intitiative for both meetings, but have now decided to ditch the second conference in Luxembourg in order not to interfere with the German EU presidency's efforts to revive the constitution, Luxembourg's foreign minister Jean Asselborn told EUobserver.
"The initial idea was that we hold a meeting in Madrid, and then a later meeting in Luxembourg. We have said now about the meeting in Luxembourg: we are not doing this for the moment," Mr Asselborn said after meeting EU counterparts in Brussels on Monday (22 January).
"It emerged that maybe we give the impression of disregarding the presidency. Of course we want to help the presidency," he stated.
"From the start this was cleared with the Germans, that we wouldn't work against the presidency. But it could be interpreted as such," he said.
French-Dutch unease
Although Germany has publicly welcomed the first "friends of the constitution" meeting in Madrid this week, EU diplomats say Berlin was unhappy particularly with the second meeting in February, which was scheduled just before the signing of a major declaration on the EU's 50th birthday in March.
The second meeting, which would bring the pro-constitution camp and the constitution sceptics together, would also encroach on what Germany sees as the prime task of its presidency - to bridge the divide between the two camps and seek a new consensus on an EU treaty.
Meanwhile, Mr Asselborn said that the meeting had also been cancelled because of resistance by France and the Netherlands, which would be forced at the Luxembourg conference to define their exact position on the constitution at an early stage.
"We don't want to bring France, the Netherlands and others in a difficult position. Luxembourg and Spain do not want to force anyone to take part," he said, with France's presidential elections planned for May and the Netherlands being engaged in a cabinet formation which could take until March.
Dutch foreign minister Bernard Bot told reporters that "especially after the French and Dutch reactions, they have given it some re-consideration."
All invited to watch
Meanwhile, Mr Bot had in a Benelux chat with Mr Asselborn on Monday morning expressed his worry that Friday's restricted meeting "could look like a ganging up" of pro-constitution states.
But Mr Asselborn said "I have repeated with [Spanish foreign minister] Moratinos that this initiative of the Spanish and the Luxembourgers is directed against nobody, neither against the French and the Dutch nor against anyone else."
In order to counter any fears of secrecy, Spain and Luxembourg have now decided that all EU capitals, including Paris and The Hague, are free to send observers to the meeting.
"The official invitation has been sent to the 18 [states who have ratified the constitution]. If the others want to participate under an observer statute, we have said: everyone who wants to come, can come," according to Mr Asselborn.
'We will not negotiate'
The Luxembourg politician added that the 18 ratifiers "will not take an official position" after the meeting, which will take place at the level of EU affairs ministers.
"In Madrid, we will not negotiate. Those who are there, do not have a mandate of their governments," he said, but added that the 18 "will produce some kind of paper."
Ireland and Portugal, which have not ratified the treaty but strongly support it, will send observers to the meeting.
Germany as EU chair also chose to be represented as an observer only - sending its ambassador in Madrid to take notes of the meeting.
The Netherlands appears to have politely declined the invitation to also send an observer, with Mr Bot saying that "we will not go to Madrid."
