‘No’ to two-tier EU

Date: 11/12/03

A TWO-tier Europe will not be in the interest of any EU countries, the prime minister of the Czech Republic, Vladimir Spidla, has warned.

Speaking to European Voice on the eve of the Brussels summit, Spidla insisted that "no single state in Europe, not even Germany, can play a global role on issues that require global solutions. Therefore, the process of European integration must continue".

With the threat of failure hanging over the summit, the leaders of France and Germany warned that if a constitution is not adopted, or if the text agreed is not ambitious enough, they would launch a "core-Europe" which would result in a two-tier EU.

Although Spidla admitted that failure to agree on a final version of the constitution would be "a serious thing", the Czech premier denied this would trigger a political crisis.

"The EU is so important that the length of negotiation is not the most important issue. The key is to ensure the stable development of European integration. It is less important if this is done by a small or by a big step."

He added that EU leaders must agree on a "constitution which is ratifiable in all 25 member states".

Report of comments by the Czech Prime Minister, Vladimir Spidla, on the eve of the European Council, Brussels, 12-13 December 2003.