QCEA
Responses to the Convention on the Future of Europe
Make
the Convention truly democratic: MORE TIME NEEDED
12
May 2003
Dear
Valéry Giscard d’Estaing,
We
are writing to raise our concern with the planned proceedings of
the Convention. We have also enclosed comments on the sections of
the draft Constitutional Treaty on external action, the democratic
life of the Union and the institutional structure.
The
Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) has been following the
work of the Convention from its conception. We welcomed the Laeken
Declaration and recognised in the Convention a new way of working
which had the potential to be truly representative, open, accountable
and participatory: in short, truly democratic. In recent weeks we
have been gravely disappointed with the failure of the Convention
to live up to this potential as it reaches what is perhaps the most
crucial stage of its work.
The
decision to end the work of the Convention in time for the European
Council on 20/21 June 2003 is a grave mistake. It is clear that
there will not be enough time for meaningful consultation on the
final draft of the Constitutional Treaty (Part 1) which is scheduled
for publication at the end of May. Convention Members will not have
the opportunity to consult with their constituents, and the situation
will be even worse for NGOs, which represent the voices, concerns
and interests of citizens across Europe.
Even
more disturbingly, it seems that Part 2 of the Constitutional Treaty
will not be published in its entirety before the end of the Convention’s
work. If this is the case there will be no opportunity for public
scrutiny of this crucial section of the Constitutional Treaty.
We
urge you to extend the working time of the Convention. The deadline
of 20/21 June is an artificial one: there is no practical reason
why the Convention should not continue to work until it has truly
completed its mandate. The citizens of Europe deserve a Constitutional
Treaty which truly reflects their needs and concerns and which will
serve them for many years to come. This can only happen if citizens
are given the opportunity to be involved in the scrutiny of this
document before it is finalised.
It
would be a sad irony if the Convention, set up to bring citizens
closer to the EU, succeeded in the end only in alienating them even
further. Do not waste the work of the last year; give yourselves
more time to finish it democratically.
Yours
sincerely,
Martina
Weitsch and Liz Scurfield
Joint
Representatives/Head of Office
The
Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) was founded in 1979 to
promote the values of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
in the European context. Our purpose is to express a Quaker vision
in matters of peace, human rights, and the right sharing of world
resources.
The
Quaker concern for peace derives from a belief in the unique value
of individuals. The worldwide Quaker tradition of peace has evolved
over three hundred and fifty years, and the peace testimonies remain
a guide and inspiration for activism to the present day. Quakers
believe conflict can be avoided by mutual understanding of needs
at the earliest stage, and therefore violence should never become
necessary.
Return
to top of page
Further
Information on The Future of Europe
|
