Church officials see opportunity in failure of EU constitution talks

Published: 2003-12-19

WARSAW, Poland (CNS) -- European church officials said the failure of the European Union to agree on a new constitution would allow member nations time to fine tune the document. "This constitutional treaty is of fundamental importance for the good of all citizens of European Union states," said Msgr. Noel Treanor, secretary general of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community. "We must hope an understanding is reached, so it can provide the foundation for effective activity by an expanded European Union," he said. Talks on the new constitution collapsed Dec. 13 after Poland and Spain objected to a proposed new voting system that would have given proportionately more weight to Germany, France, Britain and Italy at the expense of smaller member states.

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