The European Union (EU) has plan to conclude the talks on the new treaty replacing the rejected EU Constitution by October, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said in Brussels on Wednesday.
"The IGC (Inter-governmental conference) will start next month and the Portuguese Presidency aims to conclude in October," Barroso told a plenary session of the European Parliament.
At an EU summit on June 21-23, the EU leaders agreed on a mandate on launching a new treaty talks to replace the EU Constitution.
As Portugal will take over the EU Presidency in July, Portugal will shoulder the responsibility to arrange the IGC to finalize the details of the new treaty, or The Reform Treaty as tabled by the German Presidency.
"After the success of the European Council, we have two crucial stages ahead. First, we need to finalize the IGC and to sign the Reform Treaty," Barroso said.
According to the EU calendar, an EU summit in October might be the good occasion to conclude the talks on the new treaty.
However, Barroso cast more eyes on the ratification of the new treaty.
"We need to explain the European public why this Treaty will be a necessary and positive step forward. Such a narrative will be a central part of the (European) Commission opinion ahead of the IGC, "Barroso said.
"I certainly hope that the European Parliament and the ( European) Commission can continue to work closely on spreading the message that this reform is indispensable to meet the challenges of the 21st century and to deliver better results to European citizens: the real winners of the Reform Treaty," he added.
In June 2004, the EU leaders agreed on the text of the EU Constitution and they signed in October of the same year. However, in 2005, the Constitution was rejected by French and Dutch referendum, dragging the EU into a two-year institutional deadlock.
(Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2007)
