Bernard Allen
Ceist:203 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the position with regard to the EU Constitutional Treaty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34716/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 25 October 2006
Ceisteanna (152)
Freagraí scríofa
To date, fifteen Member States have ratified the Constitutional Treaty. Luxembourg and Spain have done so by referendum while thirteen Member States have ratified by parliamentary means. Finland is expected to complete its ratification procedures in the coming months. As the House is aware, the Constitutional Treaty was rejected in referendums held in France and the Netherlands last year.
Following the referendum results in France and the Netherlands, the European Council initiated a period of reflection in order to allow time for further consideration of how to proceed with the Constitutional Treaty. In June 2006, the European Council agreed to extend the reflection period for another year and to focus also on the Union's delivery of tangible results to EU citizens.
The European Council also mandated the Presidency to consult extensively with Member States and to present a report to the European Council in June 2007. That report is to contain an assessment of the state of discussions with regard to the Constitutional Treaty and to explore possible future developments. The report is intended to allow the European Council to point the way forward towards decisions on the Constitutional Treaty, which are expected to be taken during the second half of 2008 at the latest.
In line with its mandate from the European Council, the Finnish Presidency is currently holding a series of bilateral consultations with Member States. In these discussions, Ireland re-iterated our strong commitment to the Treaty as agreed by Heads of State and Government in 2004, and affirmed also our readiness to proceed with ratification once there is clarity on the way forward at EU level. The Presidency was also advised of our view that the Constitutional Treaty is a carefully constructed package and remains the best available option for equipping the Union with the means to meet the challenges facing us now and into the future. For this reason, we believe that any attempt to alter the essential balance and substance of the draft Treaty would be unlikely to succeed.