20.06.2007
The Spokespersons of the European Green Party today called on the EU leaders who are due to meet at the EU Summit in Brussels on June 21 st and 22nd to commit to a meaningful new European treaty which will strengthen the EU and make it better equipped to deal with the serious environmental, social and political challenges it is facing, at the EU level as well as at the Global level.
EGP Co-Spokesperson Ulrike Lunacek said: "It is crucially important that this summit makes real progress on deciding on a treaty based in its substance on the constitutional treaty which has been ratified by 18 EU countries (including 2-Spain and Luxembourg -with referendums) and rejected in referendums in 2 countries, France and the Netherlands. There are certain key provisions which we European Greens believe the new treaty must include, if the EU and its member states and citizens are to really benefit. The "red lines" which we argue must be defended include the strengthening of the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy, a move towards the introduction of an EU Foreign Minister and adoption of the Charter of Fundamental Rights which must be legally binding throughout the EU."
EGP Co-Spokesperson Philippe Lamberts continued: "Other key elements which should be included in the treaty include a common policy on migration, more co-decision making, an increase in the use of Qualified Majority Voting, respect for the subsidiarity rights of national parliaments as stipulated in the constitutional treaty, and measures to involve citizens directly in the democratic procedures of the EU. It is also extremely important that the EU is accorded legal personality. We in the EGP call on all those leaders taking part to concentrate their efforts on reaching agreement on a treaty which will strengthen the EU and make it more responsive to the needs of its citizens. We very much hope that they will not be distracted from this vital task by fruitless arguments over which voting system should be used in the EU and the Polish Government's threat to veto a deal on the amending treaty. We also call on the UK Government to act responsibly and not to ride roughshod over the wishes of other EU member states in order to serve their own short-term political interests. "