EU Constitution: ITALY DECIDES! [Archive]

Malèna

3rdJune2005, 13:32

source:
http://www.reuters.com/locales/c_newsArticle.jsp?type=topNews&localeKey=it_IT&storyID=8677761

Referendum Ue, Berlusconi: l'Italia ha già deciso
http://www.reuters.com/locales/images/clear.gif

ROMA (Reuters) - Dopo i "no" di Francia e Olanda alla Costituzione Ue, il premier Silvio Berlusconi ha ribadito che l'Italia ha già deciso di non indire un referendum confermativo sulla Carta europea.

"L'Italia la sua decisione la ha già assunta", ha detto il presidente del Consiglio rispondendo, a margine della Festa della repubblica, alla domanda di un cronista sull'ipotesi avanzata da alcune forze politiche, tra cui la Lega, di indire in Italia un referendum confermativo. "Abbiamo una costituzione, abbiamo un ordinamento. Abbiamo rispettato i dettami che presiedono lo sviluppo delle nostre decisioni", ha aggiunto Berlusconi.

Il parlamento italiano ha ratificato la Costituzione Ue il 6 aprile scorso.

source:
http://www.reuters.com/locales/c_newsArticle.jsp?type=topNews&localeKey=it_IT&storyID=8677761

argo

17thJune2005, 08:40

Last Updated: Friday, 17 June, 2005, 04:26 GMT 05:26 UK

EU heading for budget collision

EU President Jean-Claude Juncker (left) is pessimistic about a deal
European Union heads of government are due to meet in Brussels to discuss the contentious issue of the bloc's budget.
The UK's 4.4bn euro (£3bn) rebate remains at the centre of the debate.

The UK says it will veto any attempt to lessen its rebate unless there is reform of agriculture spending, which France refuses to discuss.

The budget debate comes after EU leaders agreed to extend the deadline for members to ratify the union's new constitution beyond November 2006.

Correspondents say the move, which follows the French and Dutch electorates' rejection of the constitution in referendums, effectively puts the constitution on hold.

Denmark immediately said it was postponing a referendum on the constitution and was followed by several other countries including Ireland and the Czech Republic.

Friday's talks look set to be deadlocked over the EU's budget for the 2007-2013 period.

The BBC's Jonny Dymond in Brussels says the negotiating positions of the member states appear to be too far apart for any breakthrough.

He adds that while some states sympathise with the call for agriculture spending reform, none supports the UK's rebate remaining in place.

'Ratification must continue'

On the constitution, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker, who is the outgoing EU president, said there would be a period of reflection, explanation and debate.

Mr Juncker said there would not be a better treaty than the existing draft and it was not up for renegotiation.

"We believe that the constitutional treaty has the answers to many questions that Europeans are asking, so we believe the ratification process must continue," he said.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said it was important to consider why French and Dutch voters had rejected the constitution, but it was too early to abandon the treaty.

"We don't want to give up the constitution, nor do we want to carry on with business as usual and pretend nothing has happened," he said.

"We have decided to undertake a stock-taking exercise and have a wide-ranging debate amongst all Europeans. We can't, at the moment, forecast the results of that debate."

The new constitution, which needs to be ratified by all 25 member states to pass into EU law, was designed to define the future direction of the union and the way it is run.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4102228.stm

Meanwhile, back in Malta, Gonzee is pressing ahead to ratify this piece of dubious legislation which has already been thrown out of the window by 2 founding members of the EU. I have absolutely no doubt that the British and the Danes will do likewise and with a bigger margin.

Gonzee is the most insensitive and undemocratic prime minister we ever had. The people have never voted for or against this constitution. The EU referendum was a totally different subject. The constiution did not exist then, so, that vote, cannot by any stretch of the imagination be construed to be an approval thereof.