European Parliament: Roadmapping without a compass

- June 7th, 2007

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As the European Parliament debates the Report on the roadmap for the Union's Constitutional Process this afternoon, the Young European Federalists point out the shortcomings of the EP's standpoint. JEF Europe expects the parliamentary representatives of the European citizens to live up to their mission in a more responsible way than with this tame resolution almost 6 month late.

"We are truly disappointed by the report. Not only because a document like this should have been adopted before the German presidency to actually influence the Sherpa negotiations, but also because it clearly lacks a concrete direction and fails to tackle crucial points." Jan Seifert, President of JEF Europe, opened his statement on the European Parliament's Report on the roadmap for the Union's Constitutional Process, which is debated in the plenary session on Wednesday, 6 June 2007.

JEF Europe, the organisation of Young European Federalists, points out that the EP's resolution proposal lacks concrete criticsm of the intransparent and undemocratic sherpa method employed by the German presidency and thus implicitly supports for the constitutional process to be moved away from the citizens and behind closed doors. That the Parliament is supporting a new IGC rather then a new convention is a clear step backwards.

"It's a shame that Parliament has lost any ambition to demand going beyond the classical IGC method", Seifert added, describing the proposal to make use of the Maastricht procedure involving EP respresentatives in the IGC as non-workable with 27 member states.

JEF Europe has for long been fighting for a democratic and transparent constitutional process involving the European citizens in the decision-making. "What Parliament should rather ask for is full transparency during the whole consultation process with access to all documents and possibly a revival of the convention method as this is what the Heads of State agreed to in the first round", Seifert said.

Regarding Parliament's call for a coordinated ratification procedure, JEF Europe's president concluded: "We don't need a mere coordination. We need every single European citizen to have a say on the future of Europe and this can only be achieved having a pan-European referendum on any future treaty revision. That's what Parliament should ask for!"

JEF Europe is one of the partner organisations to the European Referendum campaign collecting one million signatures demanding a pan-European referendum on a future European Constitution. For more information, go to www.europeanreferendum.eu