Faced with the very serious legitimacy crisis of the process of European unification after the negative referendums on the draft European Constitution in France and The Netherlands, the Heads of state and government need to make brave choices if they want to prevent the slow erosion of the integration process of the European Union.

As a consequence, European federalists ask the European Council, which is going to meet on 16-17 June 2005:

•         to decide to continue the national ratification process of the draft Constitutional Treaty for Europe, which has already been ratified in 10 member states, the population of whom represents 50% of the global population of the EU;

•         to launch a plan for growth and employment in Europe, aiming at the achievement of the Lisbon goals, and which would be financially based on a multi-annual budget of 1,27% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the issuing of euro-obligations.

A part from that, Federalists ask the European Parliament to call for a consultative referendum on the "Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe" simultaneously in all member states; by deciding that if the vote is positive in a majority of the countries and if it represents 2/3 of the population of the EU, the Constitution should be considered as adopted by the states in which voters have by a large majority voted in its favour.

Note to editors

The UEF, founded in 1946, is an independent and non-governmental European organisation, campaigning for a federal Europe. Since April 2005, it is presided over by Mrs. Mercedes BRESSO, President of the Italian Region of Piedmont, Member of the EU Committee of the Regions.