Brussels proposes a 'declaration'

Jose Manuel Barroso: Delivering results will strengthen public trust

The European Commission has suggested EU member states should sign a broad political declaration on values and ambitions next year.

It says this could serve as the basis for a future shake-up of EU institutions, of the kind proposed in the ill-fated European constitution.

The steps are outlined in a paper the Commission will submit to an EU summit on the constitution next month.

The paper also lists 12 policy initiatives to regain citizens' trust.

'No consensus'

"There must be renewed commitment Europe. The way to strengthen public confidence in Europe is through results," Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said.

"That is the way to create the conditions to deliver an institutional settlement."

The policy initiatives include:

• Removing remaining single market barriers

• Abolition of the national veto on policies regarding organised crime, terrorism and human trafficking

• Further steps to cut red tape and improve regulation

• More consultation with national parliaments

The Austrian EU presidency has said it will provide a roadmap suggesting ways to move forward on the constitution at the June summit in Brussels.

But the Commission says the member states should wait until next year before launching a new process designed to reform the EU institutions.

It notes that there is currently no consensus on the fate of the constitution, and says it is too early to discuss ideas raised in the year of "reflection" since the No-votes in France and the Netherlands.

Divisions

We should not rush things - we should instead wait for the right moment to act German Chancellor Angela Merkel Q&A: Constitution's future Ratification map Send us your views

The EU is divided between countries which regard the existing text of the constitutional treaty as the best possible compromise and others, which would prefer to declare it dead.

On Tuesday, Estonia became the 15th member state to complete the parliamentary stage of ratifying the treaty, and Finland is making plans to follow suit in the coming weeks.

The constitution cannot come into force unless it is ratified by all 25 member states - and France and the Netherlands rejected it in referendums last year.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday that she wanted to play "an active role" to push the constitution project forward when Germany takes over the rotating presidency of the EU in January 2007.

However, she added that Europe "should not rush things" and should wait for the right moment to act.

The BBC's Jonny Dymond in Brussels says diplomats doubt there will be much progress on the constitution before the French presidential election in the first half of next year.