% ~9 f: J9 F/ Z9 G" ^% o0 [ 目前，来自27国的代表一直在探讨这份宣言的措词。据悉，届时的宣言将主要分为三个部分，包括：欧盟的成就、存在的价值、奋斗目标。也有国家提出应该加入第四部分，即欧盟宪法相关部分。- Y- W5 {! c# ^0 z
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而在另一方面，英国的外交官员也拼命坚持，要求不应该将《欧盟宪法条约》列入3月25日将发表的“柏林宣言”。 ( l3 ^8 @9 c) i" p3 x ; r/ F2 T8 u+ i; o 英国国防大臣杰夫-胡恩(Geoff Hoon)5日表示，德国极力推动重启制宪进程。他说：“我并不认为德国的做法有什么错误。”但是他仍表示，届时发表的宣言将不会超过两三页纸，而且不会强制要求英国签署新的宪法条约。胡恩在布鲁塞尔接受采访时表示，英国希望宣言能够赞扬过去的成就，规划未来的路线，但并不是完全制定一切措施。% f! p, f) i" b9 q
9 f7 g! O# A) U; ~) T 胡恩还表示，布莱尔首相将在欧盟峰会时提出要求，“柏林宣言”只需简短陈述欧盟给成员各国带来的利益以及大体勾绘出未来的发展计划即可。 ( h) {8 C# J: Z/ z" ?" T( V+ V8 W, t( W9 s/ O8 M
当然，胡恩也表示，如果“柏林宣言”提到宪法条约的话，应该避免提到提到那些“尚未表决通过的文件”。 # R4 S2 }0 c, u2 T / T& g3 \2 a+ ~4 F. w/ T 然而，默克尔此前在德国联邦议院的一次演讲中，曾经清晰发表了一个论调，即“柏林宣言”必然会和新欧盟宪法联系到一起。她说：“今天的条件已经和50年前完全不同了。50年前，是否能重建欧洲是个大问题。而到了今天，我们所面临的问题是进行我们一直忽略的调整，还是当全世界都在彻底变化，而欧洲却不能完全进行改革？” [+ h7 \. C' C" T, Q; x( D
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March 06, 20079 K0 |5 Q- r' E/ u# p' M L# p
Merkel prepares to revive constitution at EU birthday bash; a2 V: R+ T- A$ X2 I- T( ~
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Angela Merkel is attempting to exploit her role as hostess for Europe’s 50th birthday party to give momentum to her project to revive the EU constitution. 0 C% B5 S: H! x z) W. J + h+ G1 K% ^- {8 T! ~" S2 Q# sAs she prepares for the Berlin commemoration of the founding of the Common Market in 1957, the Chancellor of Germany, said that the main tasks facing Europe were the “adjustments we have so far omitted to make” to prepare the EU for the next 50 years.$ L+ k8 F7 J4 U
! J! R- v0 L7 S; d8 PThat was a clear reference to the EU constitution, which was rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands in 2005 but which Mrs Merkel has made her priority to resuscitate./ p5 G8 b7 a8 M& a' b
% S' M5 q3 V ]Despite objections from Britain, France and the Netherlands, she will try to convince European leaders this week to include strong wording on the need for “institutional reform” in the Berlin declaration — an anniversary statement that is intended to celebrate Europe’s achievements. ! o% B: `- Z% t6 \5 q/ l2 Y
. x6 i" o+ _9 C- Q# EBritish diplomats are desperate to keep any reference to the failed constitution out of the declaration, which is due to be published on March 25 after a discussion by EU heads of government at their summit on Thursday. Mrs Merkel wants to set out a timetable by June for publishing a new constitutional treaty.- [) x! q7 `5 c% |5 J; O5 Z, g& \
3 t% {# [, t7 {0 z# P* lDiplomats from all 27 EU countries have been consulted on the wording of the Berlin declaration and have been told that it will be split into three parts: achievements, values and goals. Some have said that a fourth element was discussed — a reference to the revived EU constitution. ! g/ r) i: a4 L . D" N7 z, ~ ZGeoff Hoon, Europe Minister, acknowledged yesterday that Berlin was pushing for fresh momentum on a revived constitutional treaty. Mr Hoon said: “I am not faulting the Germans for wanting to try and make progress.” But he went on to insist that the declaration would be a benign document of no more than two or three pages that would not commit Britain to signing the new constitutional treaty. : r7 n; ~2 l! k6 ]! S( O) G 7 [4 l1 i- I/ A. a$ vBritain wanted “something that celebrates what has been achieved and charts a way forward without detailed prescription,” Mr Hoon said in Brussels.# K3 B% V* ]; r! V2 j
! O: J6 r" N- e' P* l( t“Certainly the British Government would want to ensure that the EU was capable of taking effective decisions, and that might well entail further institutional reform. But I don’t think that (the Berlin declaration) needs to be prescriptive,” he said. “If Britain signs up to further ‘institutional reform’, the context will be pored over because the phrase has become shorthand for the replacement constitution.” 2 H5 @% j) L' u4 P* U! ^1 B0 s1 Z% x1 i/ K8 Q7 J" j( p
Mrs Merkel was clear in a keynote speech to the Bundestag that she believes that the Berlin declaration and the constitution are inextricably linked. She said: “Conditions today are completely different to those 50 years ago. At that time, it was a question of rebuilding Europe and laying durable foundations for a prosperity which was in its infancy., \( T1 w* B. H5 D
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“Today it is a question of making adjustments which we so far have omitted to make, or have only half-completed, in order to adapt the European Union to its new size, on the one hand, and to a world which has changed completely, on the other. ; p" B ]( z, H5 ` U @2 i7 K$ z3 f- X6 t/ `4 A
“As holder of the EU presidency, the Federal Government is facing up to this responsibility. We intend to move the European project forward.” % }; ]5 H$ G* ]+ k + U) {' A0 K* D* j) ]Mr Hoon said that Tony Blair will argue at the EU summit that the Berlin declaration should be a short statement on the ways that the EU has been of benefit to its citizens and that it should outline its future plans. ) h- O" d9 v" H4 N* d+ ]( T; t) U8 Y) Z
“The Berlin declaration should be celebratory and visionary, setting out what we have achieved and where we want to go,” he said. “It will not be a shopping list and it should not concentrate on current issues. We should lift our eyes above immediate concerns.” N8 c' [, Q* u# N1 J" c
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Downing Street would like to have a slimmed-down treaty, arguing that this would not need the referendum that was promised by Mr Blair to take place before adopting the former constitution. 2 I+ X# {# |+ w6 @" b1 D. ]- ?$ t. Z( [, L9 ~
Mr Hoon suggested that if the Berlin declaration mentioned the constitutional treaty it should be “a not-too-specific reference to a document whose status has yet to be resolved”.
