For the constitution of the European Union (EU), the only certainty is uncertainty in the coming years as EU leaders have failed to break the impasse at the end of a one-year period of reflection.

The heads of state and government of the 25-nation bloc were left with no option but to put the constitution on hold as there was no consensus on how to move on.

They have decided at a summit to postpone decision on it till the second half of 2008.

The rejection of the constitution by France and the Netherlands last summer put the EU in chaos and forced the leaders to allow a one-year period of reflection.

So far 15 countries have ratified the document either by parliamentary vote or through referendums. The rest of the countries have decided either to proceed with ratification or to put the process on hold until new signals from France and the Netherlands.

The constitution, which would have provided for the necessary institutional reforms to cope with the ever-enlarging bloc, is vital to the future functioning of the EU as the existing treaties were not designed for an EU with more than 27 member states.

Romania and Bulgaria are expected to join in 2007 or 2008. Turkey and Croatia started detailed membership negotiations on Monday while several other western Balkan countries are waiting in the wings.

Under the constitution, member states also would have surrendered sovereignty in more areas to allow better integration of policies.

Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, whose countries holds the rotating EU presidency, said Thursday that the constitution should be kept alive as the substance of it is good.

The question now is how. French and Dutch voters are not expected to vote on the same text again. If a new text is drafted, the ratification process may have to start again from scratch.

Hopes are that Germany may come up with some ideas in the first half of 2007 when Berlin holds the EU presidency. In addition, by the end of the German presidency, both France and the Netherlands would have installed new governments.

These factors may add a silver lining to the dark clouds. But the revitalization of the constitution is no easy job.

As the leaders can do virtually nothing with the constitution, they choose to focus on the delivery of specific projects.

Schuessel said the leaders have adopted the European Commission' s proposal for a "double-track" approach, where the EU strives to reach objectives using the existing treaties while it tries to find a solution for the constitution.

"The heads of state and government accept that we should now move from the period of reflection to a period that should focus on delivery of concrete results," said Barroso.

The leaders may have put the issue to rest for the time being. But one thing is for sure: if the EU wants move ahead, it needs the institutional reforms that are envisaged in the constitution.

(Xinhua News Agency June 17, 2006)