EUobserver.com: Prodi proposes to chop down EU constitution - by Mark Beunderman

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Prodi proposes to chop down EU constitution - by Mark Beunderman

Italy's prime minister Romano Prodi has called for a slimmed-down version of the EU constitution, echoing proposals for a "mini treaty" made by French presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy. In an interview with French daily Le Monde on Wednesday (13 September), Mr Prodi said the lengthy text of the EU constitution which was rejected by French and Dutch voters last year should be trimmed down in order for it to have a second chance.One of France's top presidential candidates, interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy, last week also proposed to ditch the whole third part of the constitution, pleading for a "mini treaty" instead. Mr Sarkozy's "mini treaty" would include key provisions of Part I of the constitution such as member states' voting weights provisions and plans to create an EU foreign minister, on which there is a "large consensus."

But simply skipping Part III of the constitution is seen by experts as problematic, as this chapter also includes a list of policies where the constitution proposes to improve decision-making in the EU by lifting the national veto.