EU summit : "Europe will be built with the support of the citizens or not at all"

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 14th Jun 2006

Addressing the European Commission and the Austrian Presidency during the European Parliament debate on the EU Summit agenda this week, European Liberal Democrat Leader Graham Watson said:

"Addressing the democratic deficit means an end to the rubber-stamping of regulations behind closed doors. We call on the Council to announce that all discussions on lawmaking by co-decision will be open to public view. Transparency must become the norm rather than the exception."

"Europe demands no less than an unequivocal drive to democratise decision-making. In the long term, only a constitutional treaty - as practical as it is ideological - can provide the institutional framework to democratise Europe. But it is also time to recognise that the sixteenth and final Member State likely to ratify the Constitution in its current form is Finland which leaves us with two options: renegotiation or oblivion. The sooner we take steps to make structural and substantive improvements to that text and address public concern, the better".