The resumption of the work of the European Parliament after the summer break (Strasbourg, 1-4/9) coincided with the debate on the forthcoming Intergovernmental Conference (IGC). The Italian Presidency of the EU reaffirmed the three principles on the basis of which it intends to conduct the negotiations for the approval of the European Constitution: respect for the timetable laid down (start of the Conference on 4 October, final agreement in December and signing of the Treaty before the European elections in June 2004); substantial maintenance of the text drawn up by the Convention, with a further extension of qualified majority vote; active participation of the EP, of the Commission and of the ruling body of the Convention itself. For the Italian government, moreover, an explicit reference to Christianity in the Constitution is a priority. Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, who opposes the re-opening of the debate on institutional themes, has warned of the risk of the IGC’s failure: “the balances achieved represent the upper limit beyond which the politics, society and culture of Europe today do not permit us to press any further”. According to the President of the European Commission Romano Prodi, on the other hand, amendments to the draft Constitution are necessary to limit the recourse to unanimity and to reform the institutional balance of power. In the course of the session, MEPs also reviewed the situation in Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian crisis.
