June 22nd 2005 - Council Meeting

Press Release         Brussels                                        June 22nd 2005

Council Meeting of June 17th & 18th 2005

For the first time ever the Ind-Dem group were invited to send an observer to the meeting when the Council issued a statement signed by all Heads of State,-

That the recent developments (the French & Dutch No votes) do not mean abandoning the ratification process. After a period of reflection they should go ahead, with postponements as necessary. (Luxembourg will therefore vote on July 10th). They blamed neither the architects of the constitution nor themselves, they blamed the European public.

Jean-Claude Juncker, Premier of Luxembourg which holds the European Presidency until July, said, " I want to believe that neither the French nor the Dutch have rejected the constitutional treaty........they did not realise that the text of the treaty, the nature of the treaty, is aimed to respond to numerous concerns." 

Joint Debate on European Council/ Luxembourg Presidency,

 in the European Parliament June 22nd 2005

Juncker led the debate, to great applause.

He admitted that there was a crisis, then went on to the UK rebate saying that he did not wish to see it reduced or abolished, but that the UK should then bear the burden of cohesion funds for the new member states. (ie we can keep the rebate as long as we spend it in the EU!)

He returned to the referendums on the constitution saying all member states need to debate it very widely. Those who wanted a Europe of Free Trade only would, he said, come round to believe in the Single State in due course. He closed by uttering the following,-

" The current generation do not have the right to unpick what previous generations have created"!! 

Derek Clark  MEP                              

Brussels, June 22nd 2005