The EU has always been a failure. But at least it was a very successful failure. It never fullfilled the hopes, always created a level of agreement on the lowest terms. But still, it exists and gave europe the longest period of peace it has ever seen. Ok, so UK is blocking the process. So has Denmark (which apart from some national notes, had some good reasons not to vote for it). There are legitime national interests, and it would not be wise to ignore them. I guess the scotish people have some profound interests too, that are way apart from the let's say the welsh interests. So leaving this ground to discussion, I still think that europe still has a lot of common ground, and that this ground will become broader over the years, like it has since signing the rom documents. If britain is not ready yet for this treaties, we might need another decade of trust building, but ok, as long as the EU is kept together, this is regretable, but no catastrophe. Leaving UK outside would be.

Volker Schmidt, Frankfurt, Germany

If the EU is to have a collective foreign policy then doesn't this mean there is no need for Trident which saves the UK billions?

We do not know what the EU policy will be but it seems unlikely they would allow the UK to have an independent nuclear deterrent?

If they decide to have a nuclear deterrent at all surely it would have to be of a form decided by themselves?

Derek Emery, Bedworth, uk

I couldn't agree more with Phil....that's all what my post was about....:) Hope it was not censored...
Cheers;

Pascal-Pierre, Dinan/france, European Union

When the idea is to opt our from a long list of political areas, may I recommend to opt out from the only worth while area i.e. the E.U. all together. If the Brits don't like the club, why stay in it. That would surely be a worthwhile referendum - on sty in or opt out.
The next should be on joining the US as 51rst state.
Amazing that in public only a Belgian minister had gutts enough to suggest just that - opting out from the EU.
As I see it, the UK is the Trojan(or should I say the American?) horse. Nothing of what the other partners in the EU want Britan agrees to. At the same time they constantly look for allies to divide Europe - mostly in favor of American interests. Some of them, however, are genuine British ones. We once had the ECand the Efta. So why isn't Britain taking ithe Danes, Chechs and Poles and forms a new Efta?
I suppose Europe (the EU) would be better of without the Brits, and certainly the majority of Brits think they would be better off without the EU - WHAT A DEAL

Koenig, Bremen, Germany

What a inspiring report from Brussels. Thank God we are isolated, with luck they will kick us out.
I believe in govt by `common consent` in Westminster, not
govt by `plea bargaining` in the wannabe centre of the universe (aka Brussles/Strasbourg)

Peter Bolt, Redditch, UK

EU will collapse, it's just a matter of time. In a globalized world this union is quite anachronistic. Th monetary union is a total nonsense, because different countries, different economic contexts need different interest and exchange rates.
I'm not nationalist. I can make the difference between the European leaders which are trying to make up a new bureaucracy to get golden retirements and the European people which is indoctrinated to think that the European countries need to unite. False, Switzerland is going very well.
Sarkozy want a treaty without referendum, that show us that he don't believe in democracy.
He said France and Germany are friends, well, can countries be friends ?

Pierre Gardin, Caen, France

I really don’t understand why Britain is being so bull-headed about this? The Charter is a positive thing, an official declaration of rights and liberties that Britain already upholds. Why we are now fighting so hard against a codified constitution is hard to understand. Then we wonder why we’re so unpopular with the rest of Europe…

Sofia, Birmingham, West Mids - UK

Brown need not woo Sarkozy, or any other EU leader. He only has to announce that whatever treaty emerges will be subject to the promised referendum in the UK, and that would strengthen his hand far more than anything that Sarkozy could say.

Denis Cooper, Maidenhead, England

I think you will find that only 17 countries have ratified the EU constitution - Germany has not.

Although the German parliament voted for ratification, the president has been blocked from signing the ratification instrument by the German constitutional court and, therefore, no papers have been lodged. This is more than a technicality, as the constitutional court has yet to rule on whether the treaty is compatible with the German Basic Law.

This is highly ironic, considering that Merkel is rushing round Europe trying to get the "colleagues" to agree to a new treaty.

Richard North, Bradford, UK

I very much regret that Britain is only in Europe to wreck it. We are in every way closer to fellow European countries rather than the bellicose USA. As Iraq shows the Europeans were far wiser.

Phil, Hong Kong,

To be isolated in a non-democratic dictatorship is good. Now can we leave please?

A.D. Osborne, Hastings, England

Its amazing the way the labour party is squirming, ducking and dodging just so that they can give enough of our sovereignty away wiithout them having to give us a vote on it. Its quite plain that Blair and Brown want to agree to everything merkel is proposing but to do so would trigger a referendum, clearly our interest are not being served by these two fifth columumnists.

Paul, London,

Most of what the EU does it does incompetently, inefficiently and undemocratically. The last thing Europe or the world need is a stronger EU. Britain and other countries should not approve any treaty unless it returns powers to the member states.

PJ, London,

The only way to have an EU strong is ratify the 2005 constitution. 9 countries , 1/3 of members are´nt agree.
These countries must have in mind that menace is China, not USA .

Ronald S., Santiago, Chile

Considering the fact that France rejected the original constitution apparently because it was insufficiently centralist, and the UK seemed destined to do the same for opposite reason, what hope is there of compromise?

It seems clear that what is needed is not a remodelling of the original, but a complete, back to basics, rethink.

James, Beijing, China