(31 May 2007) SHOTLIST
1. Wide of Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at podium
2. SOUNDBITE: (German) Angela Merkel, German Chancellor:
"How can we proceed? We agree that we want as little as possible to challenge what constitutes Europe's capacity to act, that means what safeguards the substance, and on the other hand we need the will to compromise of all members to make progress."
3. Wide of Guy Verhofstadt, Belgian Prime Minister and Angela Merkel, German Chancellor at the podium
4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Guy Verhofstadt, Belgian Prime Minister:
"First of all we are backing all of the attempts of the German Presidency and we think, like the German presidency, that it is absolutely necessary to have an agreement now on the start of intergovernmental conference and an agreement on this constitutional treaty. The second point is that what we want is to safeguard the substance of the constitutional treaty."
5. Verhofstadt and Merkel at the podium
6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Guy Verhofstadt, Belgian Prime Minister:
"I don't understand this whole discussion about the mini treaty, I don't understand it. I think that what we need is a treaty and a treaty with substance."
7. Merkel and Verhofstadt shaking hands and leaving the room
STORYLINE
Belgium Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a bilateral meeting in Berlin on Thursday ahead of several meetings scheduled to take place during the G8 summit in Germany.
Speaking to reporters during a joint news conference, Merkel, whose county holds the rotating presidency of the EU, addressed the bloc's stalled constitution project ahead of the end of June summit.
"How can we proceed? We agree that we want as little as possible to challenge what constitutes Europe's capacity to act, that means what safeguards the substance, and on the other hand we need the will to compromise of all members to make progress," Merkel said.
The proposed constitution brings together for the first time the many treaties and agreements on which the EU is based.
It defines the powers of the EU, stating where it can and act and where the member states retain their right of veto. It also defines the role of the EU institutions.
Since its proposal in 2001 it has been ratified by 18 nations.
But Dutch and French 'no' votes in 2005 denied it the required unanimous approval.
Speaking on Thursday, Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said he supported the German presidency's efforts to try and jump-start negotiations.
"We think, like the German presidency that it is absolutely necessary to have an agreement now on the start of intergovernmental conference and an agreement on this constitutional treaty. The second point is that what we want is to safeguard the substance of the constitutional treaty," Verhofstadt said.
Earlier this month, France and Italy said they were going into the European summit with common goals, including changing the way decisions in the 27-member bloc are made to allow for majority rule in some cases, as well as the establishment of a European presidency and the post of EU foreign minister.
Since his election earlier in May, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has proposed a scaled-back, simplified EU treaty to replace the constitution project that France and the Netherlands rejected two years ago.
Sarkozy has been promoting his simplified treaty since taking office earlier this month, with visits to Berlin and Brussels.
He is pushing to have the smaller treaty approved by the EU nations by next year.
Verhofstadt on Thursday appeared to rebuff this idea.
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