EU summit result was best possible outcome in face of rising euroscepticism

6.09.44pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 27th Jun 2007

The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats welcomes the results of the European Council which represent the best that could have been achieved in the face of a regrettable rise of euroscepticism that stripped the Constitutional Treaty of its simplicity and clarity.

Graham Watson MEP (ALDE group leader):

"Action on climate change and energy security had already made this a noteworthy Presidency but securing agreement for an Inter Governmental Conference on Institutional Reform has made it great.

"Yet agreement came at a price. Eurosceptics were rewarded proportionally to their negativity,with derogations, deletions and opt-outs. In return, the friends of the Constitution received precious little for their support for a text signed by all 27 Member States."

Andrew Duff MEP (UK, Lib Dem) and ALDE constitutional affairs spokesperson thanked the Chancellor for bringing some real politics to the European Council: "Germany, freed from the EU Presidency, must combat the 'pick and choose' Europe that is the sad legacy of Mr. Blair. It should take the lead in using, for the first time, the reinforced cooperation provisions of the new Treaty".

Silvana Koch-Mehrin MEP (FDP, Germany and ALDE Vice-President) said: "The German Government had clear ambitions and achieved results. We welcome approval of a timetable for institutional reform yet lament the lack of transparency in the presidency text which may well lay down long-term problems for the Union. Furthermore there is no guarantee that the new Treaty will be implemented since the IGC is still to take place and 27 countries still have to ratify the results. This is a real invitation to countries governed by populists to come up with further obstacles."