German chancellor vows to revive EU constitution

Germany will be "very ambitious" in its efforts to rescue the virtually dead European Union (EU) constitution during the country's presidency next year, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday.

"I am firmly convinced we need a constitution," Merkel told reporters after talks with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso about Germany's program for the EU presidency which starts on Jan. 1.

"We will not be able to complete this issue in our presidency, but we want to do our part to reach an agreement that we need such a constitution," Merkel said.

According to her, the German presidency should set the goal to agree to a time-frame, a road map and a plan of how to proceed (with the constitution). She said Germany would be very ambitious in its approach to the issue.

Germany would work closely with Portugal and Slovenia, the next two nations to hold the EU presidency, to set a long-term agenda, said the chancellor. "We'll need the treaty before the next European elections (2009) ... and we'll get down to it ambitiously."

The EU's draft constitution was rejected last year by France and the Netherlands, which effectively killed the proposed treaty, which can only come into force with approval from all 25 EU members.

While supporting Germany's ambitious plans, Barroso said it would be very hard to convince European citizens of the need for such a treaty.

He cautioned that hopes for the presidency under Germany, the EU's biggest economy, should not be exaggerated.

"There are great expectations about the German presidency but it is not fair to put all the weight and burden on Germany," Barroso said.

French leaders have indicated that they do not expect any new moves on the constitution until after the French presidential election in May 2007.

Dutch leaders have called for the proposed document to be radically reduced in scope and for the removal of the name "constitution."

Merkel, however, rejected the Dutch proposals.

"It must be something which deserves the name 'constitution' and not merely an institutional set of rules," Merkel said.

The German chancellor also highlighted social issues in Germany's upcoming EU presidency.

Future EU guidelines and regulations should be better checked with a view to their social impact on ordinary citizens, said Merkel.

It was equally essential to reduce unemployment and safeguard the social achievements of citizens in the conditions of a globalized world, she added.

During the first half of 2007, the EU will hold summits with the United States, Russia, Japan and Canada. Merkel said she would help plan an EU-Africa summit to take place after the German presidency.

A special summit will be held in Berlin on March 25, 2007, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, which created the bloc.

Source: Xinhua