A declaration for the next 100 days

The declaration of Messina in 1955 paved the way for the Treaty of Rome, whose successes over the last 50 years EU leaders celebrated on Sunday (25 March). But the declaration they made in Berlin is designed to get the Union through the next 100 days, rather than the next half-century.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed that her plan was for a "short and concentrated" intergovernmental conference on a new treaty reform package, to be wrapped up by December and ratified in time for the European Parliament elections in 2009.

She bowed to pressure from Poland, the Czech Republic and the UK not to refer to the constitution in the wording of the declaration. But she held out against demands from Czech President Václav Klaus to drop any mention of 2009 as a target for agreeing further reform.

The declaration says that by 2009 EU leaders are united in the aim of putting the European Union on a "renewed common basis".

Merkel did not miss an opportunity to stress the need for the Union to keep moving forward if it wanted to maintain the achievements of the past 50 years. "None of this can be taken for granted," she said, referring to Europe’s achievements in bringing peace, freedom, democracy and the rule of law. But, she warned: "All of it must be repeatedly strengthened and defended anew. Stagnation means regression."

To safeguard Europe’s way of life, the Union needs to be able to act more effectively than it can at present, she said. The Union’s internal structures needed to be adapted to a membership of 27 member states. "The European Union needs more and better defined competences than it has at present," she argued.

The German chancellor may have had to sacrifice some ambition for the constitution in the declaration itself to get it endorsed by all 27 leaders, but her agenda was clear.

At the summit in June, Merkel wants EU leaders to sign up to launching an intergovernmental conference (IGC) during the succeeding presidency of the Portuguese. To keep the IGC short, she wants the scope of the negotiations to be as limited as possible. Discussions with member states’ sherpas, the top diplomats responsible for EU affairs, have been identifying the areas where some renegotiation of the constitution is inevitable.

Now that the Polish government has agreed to negotiate on the basis of the constitution and the UK is coming round to the idea of wrapping up the negotiations quickly, there is a political will at least to start the process of renegotiating the constitution in a constructive way. The challenge remains how to square the different positions of those who want to retain most of the constitution’s ambitions with those of the UK which wants to avoid a referendum at all costs.

The Berlin declaration talks about how the European Union has brought about a "sense of community and overcome differences". That spirit which has carried the Union forward for the last 50 years will have to be in abundance if the negotiations are to be successful.

The Berlin Declaration in brief

• For centuries, Europe has been an idea holding out hope of peace and understanding

• European unification has made peace and prosperity possible

• It has brought about a sense of community and overcome differences

• Each member state has helped to unite Europe and to strengthen democracy and the rule of law

• Thanks to the yearning for freedom for the peoples of central and eastern Europe the unnatural division of Europe is now consigned to the past

• We, the citizens of the European Union, have united for the better

Part I

• The European Union is founded on equal rights and mutually supportive cooperation. This enables us to strike a fair balance between member states’ interests

• We are enriched by open borders and a lively variety of languages, cultures and regions

• There are many goals which we cannot achieve on our own, but only in concert

Part II

• We are facing major challenges which do not stop at national borders

• This European model combines success and social responsibility

• The common market and the euro make us strong

• We can thus shape the increasing interdependence of the global economy and ever-growing competition on international markets according to our values

Part III

• The European Union will continue to thrive both on openness and on the will of its member states to consolidate the Union’s internal development

• We are united in our aim of placing the European Union on a renewed common basis before the European Parliament elections in 2009

Who wants what in a renegotiated constitution

• United Kingdom

No new transfer of powers which would justify a call for a referendum

Emphasis on tackling climate change and terrorism

• Germany

Keeping as much of the constitution as possible

Could accept dropping the name "constitution"

• France

Big question mark

Two out of three presidential candidates (Ségolène Royal and François Bayrou) want a referendum

Nicolas Sarkozy wants a simplified treaty ratified quickly followed by a new convention after 2009

• Poland

Wants to introduce "square root" system for calculating voting weights

Would like reference to EU’s Christian heritage

Will probably get energy solidarity clause

• Czech Republic

Sees no need for renegotiation of constitution

Wants to avoid its presidency in first half of 2009 being overshadowed by ratification of new treaty

Uneasy about more emphasis on social side of EU

• The Netherlands

Wants to avoid a new referendum

Wants to drop name "constitution" and reference to EU symbols, anthem, etc

• Ireland

Will have to hold referendum but not seen as major problem

• Denmark

Will have to hold referendum unless five-sixths of MPs approve new EU treaty

• Sweden

Yet to ratify

No plans for referendum

In favour of constitution

• Portugal

Yet to ratify

No plans for referendum

In favour of constitution

• Spain, Luxembourg, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Austria, Greece, Slovakia, Slovenia, Belgium, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Malta

Have ratified constitution and keen to see it come into force

The declaration of Messina in 1955 paved the way for the Treaty of Rome, whose successes over the last 50 years EU leaders celebrated on Sunday (25 March). But the declaration they made in Berlin is designed to get the Union through the next 100 days, rather than the next half-century.

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