Europe needs more time for charter - Verheugen

Europe needs more time to decide how to proceed with its troubled Constitution following its rejection by French and Dutch voters, the vice president of the European Commission was quoted as saying yesterday.

"The original goal of bringing the Constitution into force in 2007 cannot be reached anymore," Guenter Verheugen told Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

"It would be quite wrong to impose tight time limits at this point. A whole series of countries simply need more time for discussion to restore public trust in Europe," he said.

Mr Verheugen said he had not been particularly surprised by the outcome of the French and Dutch referendums on the constitution but he said he was worried by the widespread mood of disillusion in the bloc.

"The mood has changed everywhere where referendums are planned," he said.

"Something really fundamental has happened. A feeling of discontent that has been building up for a long time has spilled over. It is as though decades of practical experience with Europe has completely passed people by."

The Constitution, designed to consolidate the expansion of the bloc with 10 new members last year and provide a foundation for the future when other countries, including Turkey may join, will be a central issue at an EU summit this week.

It is still unclear whether the 13 countries that have not yet ratified or rejected the Constitution will even go on with the approval process.

Combined with a wrangle over the medium-term budget for the bloc, that has raised a major question mark over how capable of functioning the EU can be.

"This crisis touches on something quite fundamental," Mr Verheugen said. "It needs a political answer, a clear strategy for Europe in the global age. We have to see leadership."

"At the moment, I have the feeling that the ground is shaking beneath our feet," he said.