EU 'can not wait' for constitution

Europe can not wait for a constitution before pushing ahead with increased EU decision-making on justice and foreign policy, Finnish leader Matti Vanhanen has told MEPs.

The Finnish prime minister on Wednesday set out his priorities for Helsinki’s EU presidency to the European parliament.

Finland takes the EU helm from Austria for a six month stint at the tiller before Germany takes over in the first half of 2007.

Finland must keep the EU’s constitution on ice but will prepare the ground for a German “roadmap” to a new treaty by pushing current decision-making powers to the limit.

Vanhanen told MEPs that EU leaders must use existing European treaties to boost streamlined decision making by reducing national vetoes in key areas such as justice.

“Europe cannot afford to wait for new decision-making rules. It must start to increase the effectiveness of the way it functions now,” he said

“Increasing the union’s effectiveness will require some bold decisions from Europe’s leaders and decision-makers. We cannot just think of the here and now, and the next elections.”

“That means taking painful decisions now to help create a better future. We must also be prepared to give some ground when defending national positions and think about Europe’s interests as a whole.”

Vanhanen also insisted that the EU can not wait for greater foreign policy in the protracted “period of reflection” that has followed French and Dutch referendum rejections of the constitution.

One big setback are stalled plans to make Javier Solana an EU “foreign minister” and European commission vice-president.

In June, Europe's leaders agreed to fast track crisis response coordination and maintain a January 2007 deadline for an EU rapid reaction military force.

“The EU can not allow a period of refection in external action,” said Vanhanen.

“The union’s voice in the world will be heard only if it is coherent. We will make further improvements to the union’s crisis management and the rapid reaction troops should be fully ready by 2007.”

“The coordination of civil and military crisis management must be further coordinated.”

Left-wing Finnish MEP Esko Seppänen accused Vanhanen of implementing the constitution by the back door and militarising the EU.

“In 1999, the Finnish government betrayed its own people and pushed ahead with the setting up of EU military institutions,” he said.

“Again, it is going against the will of citizens by agreeing to make combat troops available without a UN mandate.”

Vanhenen has asked the Finnish parliament to ratify the EU constitution, despite, claims Seppänen,

“This government neither has the confidence of citizens in Finland nor across Europe. It pressed ahead with ratification of the European Constitution despite the fact that a mere 22 per cent of Finns support the ratification,” he said.

“This shows a lack of respect for democracy and the decisions of the French and Dutch people.”

Martin Schulz, leader of the parliament’s socialist group, registered a protest over claims Finland was “undemocratic”.

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