EU constitution meeting under fire
A meeting organized by Luxembourg and Spain is under fire. The meeting will try to tackle the European Union constitutional issue, but only pro-EU constitution member states have been invited. The Liberals in the European Parliament have critized the meeting saying it might risk dividing the European Union. The Netherlands and France and other states have been excluded, all of them have either rejected the treaty or “put it on ice”. Spain and Luxembourg are the only member states that have ratified the constitution after referenda.
The criticism comes after last week’s invitation by Spain and Luxembourg to the Europe ministers of only those 18 EU countries which have ratified the constitution to a private meeting in Madrid on 26 January.
Spain and Luxembourg deliberately excluded France and the Netherlands, which rejected the charter in popular referendums in 2005, as well as seven other states which subsequently suspended ratification, from the Madrid meeting - and invited them only for a second gathering open for all EU states in Luxembourg in late February.
“The initiative of Spain and Luxembourg carries the serious risk of dividing the
union. To hold a conference only for those who have ratified the constitution
threatens to gang up on the refuseniks,” said Liberal constitutional spokesman and UK MEP Andrew Duff.Read the full article at EUObserver by clicking here.
Administrator @ December 26, 2006