Netherlands has no immediate plan for 2nd referendum on EU constitution

The Dutch new government would put off a decision on whether to hold a second referendum on the European constitution until changes were made to the text, local media said on Tuesday.

According to the coalition deal reached on Monday, the three political parties who are forming a new central-left government had no plan for a new EU constitution referendum now.

The coalition partners, namely Christian Democrat CDA, the Labor Party PvdA and Christian Union, decided to leave the tricky issue to the Council of State, the country's highest constitutional advisory body.

The Council of State, which played a crucial role in the Dutch parliament's decision to have a EU constitution referendum in 2005, has to base its advice on the new version of the treaty text, which is planned to be agreed at the EU level as early as 2008, the EUobserver said.

Local reports said that the new government prefers the choice of approval by the parliament rather than a referendum. It is hoped the EU constitution treaty could be stripped of quasi- constitutional elements, such as the name "constitution", so that referendum can be avoided.

Meanwhile, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso urged the Netherlands to help break the EU constitution deadlock.

"Once you have signed an agreement you must ratify it as well," he said, "And if that is not possible, you should at least try to contribute everything you can to a solution."

Barroso also expressed unease with the prospect of another Dutch referendum on EU constitution, warning every member state should think twice of that decision.

"Referendums make the process of approval of European treaties much more complicated and less predictable," said Barroso, who will visit the Netherlands later this week.

The EU constitution treaty came to a standstill after it was rejected by the Netherlands and France in 2005. Eighteen countries have ratified the constitution and want to move forward with it.

Source: Xinhua