Commemoration of the Declaration of 9th May 1950 - Watson argues for re-launch this year of an ambitious vision for Europe

9.50.15am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 9th May 2007

Following the inspiration of the founding fathers of Europe and in particular the spirit of the Schuman Declaration of 9th May 1950, Graham Watson, leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in the European Parliament expressed the wish that 2007 be the year of a relaunched vision for the EU.

"The institutional hiatus following the rejection of the Constitutional project in France and Netherlands cannot go on indefinitely," considers Graham Watson. "The European Council needs to find an institutional solution."

"Precisely because we remain attached to the European project of integration, we cannot be satisfied by a minimalist Treaty as suggested by the newly elected President of the French Republic. A simplified Treaty should not become a simplistic Treaty."

"The EU should raise its game and set itself the goal of exporting to the rest of the world in the coming half century, the kind of peace, prosperity and opportunity that it has created for its own citizens over the past half century."