European leaders on Wednesday expressed regret over the Dutch rejection of the European Union ( EU) constitution, but vowed the 25-nation bloc will continue the ratification process as planned.

As many as 63 percent of Dutch voters were against the constitution, with merely 37 percent in favor, said the Dutch TV NOS after the voting ended at 9:00 p.m. (1900 GMT).

The overwhelming "no" has made the Netherlands the second founding EU member state to reject the EU charter after France.

For the Netherlands' first-ever referendum, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said the turnout, at 62 percent, was a "positive signal."

The referendum is not legally binding. Congress has the final say in ratifying the constitution. But all political parties in parliament have agreed to "honor the public advice" if the turnout is above 30 percent.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso urged member states to take no steps by themselves which could kill off the charter before a scheduled June 16-17 summit in Brussels where leaders will explore whether it can still be rescued.

"We need to know where we're going," Barroso said. "I hope the heads of state and government will give a clear signal about the future of the European Union."

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder warned against allowing the treaty's problems to become a "general crisis" for Europe.

"The crisis surrounding the ratification of the European constitution must not become Europe's general crisis," Schroeder said in a statement, adding that the constitution was still needed to build a strong Europe and the ratification process should continue as planned.

He also called for a restatement of commitment to the "aims and principles" of European unification, saying the two votes signaled deep unease about the development of the EU.

"We must acknowledge that many Europeans doubt that Europe is able to answer the urgent questions of the moment," Schroeder said.

French President Jacques Chirac said the Dutch rejection raises major concerns about the future of the European project.

"This new negative result in a founding member of the union and (one that is) committed to European construction shows strong expectations, questions and concerns about the development of the European project," a statement from Chirac's office said.

Chirac said there was a need "to take the necessary time to analyze well the consequences of the votes in France and the Netherlands on the union."

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who is expected to announce next week whether Britain will go ahead with a referendum, said the result of the French and Dutch votes "now raises profound questions for all of us about the future direction of Europe."

He said, however, that a European Union that has now expanded to 25 nations needs new structures and cannot simply walk away from the constitution project.

"In an era of globalization, when nations need to find new ways to work together to tackle new problems, Europe needs to be capable of giving citizens the prosperity, security, and social justice they require in ways which fit the modern world," Straw said.

Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg, the current EU president, said, "This is a dangerous position to be in. We need to show the outside world that we are sticking to the path of a better future."

But he expressed confidence in the bloc, saying "it's a difficult moment for Europe but one that Europe will get through."

Sweden's government said it regretted the overwhelming rejection of the proposed EU constitution by voters in the Netherlands, but declared it would continue efforts to win approval of the charter in the Swedish parliament.

"It's not reasonable that the French or the Dutch people should decide how we handle this issue," said Lars Danielsson, a senior government official. "The EU has received a clear signal that the charter is in serious jeopardy, but I still think it's possible to save the charter."

Hungarian Foreign Minister Ferenc Somogyi, whose country has approved the charter, said, "Nobody has yet been able to come up with a viable suggestion as to what should be done in the event of a rejected European constitutional treaty, but we still have two weeks left until the summit."

In Washington, the White House stressed US President George W. Bush's desire to continue working closely with Europe following EU constitution votes.

Asked whether the rejection of the constitution would have an impact on US trade or other relations with Europe, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said, "This is asking us to weigh in on the European Union and the European Union constitution. That's a matter for the people of Europe to decide."

"The United States is committed to a Europe that is united and strong, and one that works in partnership with us to address our common challenges," he said. "We've done that in the past, and we want to do that as we move forward in the future."

The EU constitution, which was finalized last year after long and difficult negotiations among EU governments, includes the union's Charter of Fundamental Rights and establishes an EU president and EU foreign minister.

All 25 EU members must ratify the document for it to take effect as planned by November 2006. There would then be a special summit to discuss what to do if 20 of the 25 members had approved the treaty but "one or more member states have encountered difficulties."

Source: Xinhua