EU: Constitutional Treaty to be ratified by end of June 2009

The European Union institutions are determined to conclude the procedures for the ratification of the EU Constitutional Treaty before the next European Parliament elections, that will take place in June 2009.
“The procedures for the ratification of the Constitutional Treaty, which will be named something else but its substance will remain the same, have to be concluded by June 2009,”.
This was stated today by President of the European Parliament Hans Gert Pottering, who gave a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Manuel Barosso in Berlin.
All three officials expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the Informal European Council meeting, that was held in the German capital to celebrate the 50th anniversary since the Treaty of Rome.
They stressed that the EU institutions should now cooperate more closely in order to achieve the goal of ratifying the Constitutional Treaty before the next EU elections.
In her statements, the German Chancellor referred to the Berlin Declaration that was adopted today by the EU leaders.
She said that the Declaration not only focuses on the achievements of the European course so far, but also on the work that still has to be done.
Regarding the Constitutional Treaty, that was rejected by France and the Netherlands, she said that the German EU presidency will prepare a road map as to the next steps to be taken. This road map should be adopted by the 27 EU members during the June European Council.
In his statements, the President of the Commission called on the EU leaders to come up, the soonest possible, with a solution, for the sake of the effectiveness of the EU institutions.
«Now, circumstances are better and I urge the EU leaders to work constructively and find a solution, for the sake of the effectivenss of the EU institutions, through which we can address the needs and concerns of the Europeans,” Barosso concluded.