Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-24-Speech-3-031"

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"Mr President, over and above the initial brief comments that were heard in this House on 3 September 2003, Parliament can now give a much fuller opinion on the draft Constitution adopted by the Convention. It can do this thanks to the careful and impartial analysis provided by the report by Mr Gil-Robles Gil-Delgado and Mr Tsatsos: an analysis advocating turning to account of all the innovations, progress and potential offered by the Convention’s draft. It is therefore clear why Parliament is urging the Intergovernmental Conference straight out to do justice to the Convention’s result. I would like to add that we are particularly sensitive to the importance and the emotion of this historic process: the birth of a European Constitution, which was the dream of Altiero Spinelli. The draft supported by him and adopted by this Parliament almost 20 years ago laid the foundations with vision. This must not, however, prevent us from assessing the text issued by the Convention objectively, to take note of its shortcomings, contradictions and uncertainties. Indeed Mr Gil-Robles Gil-Degado and Mr Tsatsos did not fail to mention them in their report, they did not shirk their responsibility to point them out with the necessary critical spirit. Mr President-in-Office of the Council, the basic problem is not that Parliament is dissatisfied that certain positions and proposals have not been accepted, but the danger that the EU will not be capable of addressing the challenges awaiting it properly. It is with this in mind that we urge the Intergovernmental Conference to reflect, to look at every possible way of increasing the coherence of the draft Constitution and to prevent any distortion of it, so as to avoid any steps backwards. Parliament, through its Committee on Constitutional Affairs, will follow the Intergovernmental Conference with the utmost attention and vigilance. The approach that we have chosen to adopt is highly constructive, not uncritical and very responsible, and I believe that there must be no contrast between our attitude and that taken by the Commission, although that is not to deny the distinction between the two institutions or their independence. The Italian Presidency can count on their united efforts to stand up to the pressure from those governments that want to reopen negotiations because, Mr Antonione, there have already been negotiations in the Convention and to reopen them on the fundamental issues would make the Conference unmanageable. I hope that the Italian Presidency will show itself to be consistent and firm."@en1

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