About the Brussels Summit Launching the Reform Treaty

We welcome the news that at the meeting of the European Council the political leaders of the member states succeeded in reaching an agreement about the institutional issues of high relevance. Two years after the deadlock of the constitutional process, we now strongly believe that following the Reform Treaty the European Union regains its confidence and be able to increase its activities.  

According to our view, the most important values and achievements of the original constitutional draft have been included in the new agreement. The creation of a more rational and transparent decision-making system, especially the introduction of the double majority principle on the intergovernmental level the strengthening of the common foreign and security policy and the establishment of the European diplomatic service; the inclusion of the Charter of Fundamental Rights into the treaties; and the settlement on the single legal personality of the Union constitute a breakthrough in the history of the integration process. 
 
We are sorry, however, about the omission of some common symbols of the united Europe - and the absence of the word “constitution” - in the mandate given to the new Intergovernmental Conference. We further regret that the double majority system will be used at the Council meetings only from 2014-17. We are also concerned that the United Kingdom might drift away from the mainstream of the European integration.  
 
On a pragmatic “eurorealist” ground, we accept these compromises as unavoidable taking into account the eurosceptic fears and anti-elite sentiments in some member states on the one hand, and in order to make a shift from the starting position of the current Polish government on the other.

In our opinion, providing undistorted and free competition is in the fundamental and long-term interest of all member states of the European Union. After the provisional closure of the institutional matters, now we have to focus on the renewal of common European policies!
 
End of June 2007