EU Constitution Impossible Before 2007

The vice president for the European Commission, Günter Verheugen, said it was now impossible for the EU constitution to come into effect as planned in 2007 and said the public needed time to accept the treaty. "The original goal of allowing the constitution to come into force in 2007 can no longer be reached," he said in an interview published Tuesday in the Süddeutsche Zeitung. "A tight timetable would also be a big mistake now. Several countries simply need more time for discussion to re-establish the necessary public trust in Europe." An EU summit in Brussels starting Thursday will attempt to shed more light on how member states should proceed with the ratification process.