Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-01-11-Speech-2-013"
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"en.20050111.5.2-013"2
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"Mr President, I should like to thank you for these expressions of solidarity with the people of Luxembourg at a time of great sorrow. I am very grateful indeed.
Personally, this is the first time that I have had the honour of appearing before Parliament and it is therefore a great honour and a great pleasure to be able to speak in this House, on the Council’s behalf, on a matter as important as the draft European Constitution. I had the opportunity to work with some of you in the Convention and I feel that I can say that the work done in the Convention was historic, remarkable work that underlines the importance of the process that we are currently pursuing. In this context, I should like to congratulate the rapporteurs on their excellent work. The message that you all wish to send out tomorrow by means of an overwhelming vote in Parliament is also intended for the citizens, because this Constitution is primarily a constitution for the citizens; it is they who will derive the greatest benefit from it.
It has been said that this Constitution democratises our Union. It strengthens citizens’ rights, through the Charter of Fundamental Rights; it confers new rights on Europe’s citizens, by giving them the opportunity to interact with the institutions and in particular the Commission. This Treaty confirms that we are no longer an economic Union and that we are more than a political Union in the making; we are, first and foremost, a Union based on common values. In this respect, the Constitution is a crucial step in the integration process.
Once Parliament has had its say, it will be the citizens’ turn to speak, either directly, through referendums, in countries where referendums are to be held, or indirectly, through parliamentary ratification. The Council is committed to channelling all the necessary energies for this Constitution to be adopted in all Member States. Each Member State, each government and each parliament now has the responsibility to take us over this hurdle so that the Constitution can enter into force, and, I should add, on the scheduled date. The European Parliament, national governments and national parliaments share a great responsibility in this respect. We must work together if we are to meet this challenge.
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