Schuman Day: Liberals and Democrats appeal for genuine efforts to explain why EU exists

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 9th May 2006

Commemorating Schuman Day (9 May 1950) in the European Parliament with an inter-parliamentary forum on the future of Europe (national and European parliamentarians), Liberal and Democrat representatives of ALDE insisted on the need to explain the purpose and objectives of the EU to the public, many of whom have lost or forgotten why it exists.

Graham Watson MEP and leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats spoke on behalf of the group insisting that "until the people are with us, the European project will continue to flounder, rudderless on the seas of uncertainty at a time when, more than ever, Europe's nations must act together to face the challenges of globalisation."

"The idea of a united Europe remains the single most powerful political idea to emerge from our continent in 50 years. In that time, the French are no less French, the Italians no less Italian and the British no less British. But together we make up more than the sum of our constituent parts."

Marielle de Sarnez (UDF, France), ALDE vice President, appealed concretely for genuine efforts to explain Europe better: "One of the chief lessons of the rejection of the Constitution is that we must explain the objectives of the EU much better. It would make more sense to produce a short, concise and clear text that outlined who we are, what we are doing and why Europe matters," she said.

Bronislaw Geremek (PD, Poland) sees a strong need to continue the enlargement policy of the EU whilst respecting all the Copenhagen criteria. He called for preparing a Fundamental Treaty which would preserve the substance of the Constitutional Treaty, ratified already by 15 member states, though it would need to be improved in response to the French and Dutch "no" votes. A simplified and shortened version could be finally approved by the Union in 3 years time - on Schuman Day 2009.