PM flies to Rome on Friday for EU constitution signing

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi will fly to Rome on Friday to take part in the official signing ceremony of the EU's constitutional treaty. The Prime Minister will be joining the other EU heads of state or government together with the Prime Ministers of Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey, who have also been invited for the ceremony.

The signing of the treaty will take place in the Campidoglio building's Sala Degli Orazi e Curiazi, the same room in which the six original member countries - France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg - signed the treaty in 1957 establishing the customs union that developed into the European Union.

Following the signing of the treaty, all member states will have to ratify the constitution in accordance with their respective domestic requirements. This process is expected to last about two years and has to be concluded by October 2006.

Many countries have already declared that they will be holding a referendum prior to the parliamentary ratification. No referendum will be held in Malta - the ratification process will be done through a parliamentary resolution.

Government sources said there will be a parliamentary motion authorising the ratification of the treaty following a discussion in the Foreign and European Affairs Committee. The sources added that the government's intention is to submit the motion to Parliament by the end of this year.

The MLP's position on the new EU Constitution is still not clear. Contacted by The Times, Jason Micallef, the MLP's general secretary, did not say what the opposition's stand in Parliament would be. He said "there were no discussions yet within all party structures with regards to the EU Constitution".

The constitution, the first in the EU's history, was agreed by the EU leaders during a summit last June. It replaces most existing treaties and consists of four parts. The first defines the European Union and its values, objectives, responsibilities, decision-making procedures and institutions; the second part incorporates the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The third part describes the policy and actions of the European Union while the fourth and final part contains the final clauses, including the procedures for approval and a possible revision of the constitution.

The first referendum among member states is expected to be held in Spain on February 20, 2005. The European Parliament will also have to ratify the new constitution. A debate followed by a vote in Parliament is earmarked to take place on December 15 in Strasbourg. The constitution cannot come into force until all the member states have ratified it either by referendum or via national parliaments.