PM Vanhanen: EU summit to look for ways to proceed with constitution

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The EU summit is to discuss on how to continue the Constitutional Treaty process on a dinner tonight. The leaders of the European Union member states, meeting in Brussels for a two-day summit, are to make an effort to provide a schedule for the progress of the Constitutional Treaty, said Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre Party) in Helsinki on Wednesday.
     
According to PM Vanhanen, the issue will in any event be discussed still during several Presidencies after Finland's term from July to December.
      Finland has announced its willingness to launch discussions on the Constitution, even though the matter will hardly proceed before the elections to be held in France and Holland next year, as the EU constitution was rejected by the voters of these two countries in national referenda.
      However, Matti Vanhanen believes that a decision on the progress of the Treaty will be made by 2009.
      Vanhanen also feels that the citizens' refusal to accept the EU Constitution is not based on any individual article of the Treaty, but on general mistrust against the European Union. During its Presidency, Finland intends to attempt to dispel such prejudices.
      The Prime Minister promises that Finland will prove to its citizens that EU membership brings them added value.
     
The agenda for Finland's presidency period is to be completed in a two-day summit at the end of the Austrian Presidency.
      In the context of EU enlargement, the European leaders in Brussels will aim at discussing enlargement in general, and will not dwell on individual outstanding cases.
      On Friday, the leaders are to make a decision on Slovenia's entry into the eurozone at the beginning of next year.


Links:
  Prime Minister´s Office: European Council meeting in Brussels on 15 and 16th June 2006

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