The Constitutional Treaty: What Now?

The depth of a crisis can be measured at the pervasiveness with which it takes hold: one full year has elapsed since the failures of the French and Dutch referendums. Allowing for recovery time and the Heads of State and Government’s agreement by default to allow for a “period of reflection”, proposals for action are taking tentative shape and expectant eyes are turned to the German Presidency during the 1st semester of 2007. Whereas the June Summit should come up with a first assessment of the stage the debate has reached, Declaration 30, annexed to the project of Treaty still stands and, with it, the obligation for the European Council to “address the question” in the event of ratification by 20 States.