My group and our Liberal caucus in the Convention endorse your draft European Constitution. We commend the Constitution despite its insufficiencies because it represents a considerable step forward for Europe.

The text before us is an endorsement of the Convention method as a way of reforming the European Union. A similar Convention should be set up if and when the time comes substantially to amend the Constitution. But to allow our citizens to understand the European Union, we must make a break from the era of changing the Treaties every five years in a Mao Zedong-style permanent revolution.

As the Heads of State and Government prepare to inaugurate the Intergovernmental Conference on 4 October 2003, the message of the European Liberal Democrat group is this: stay true to the spirit of the Convention in your debates, and do not seek to re-open behind closed doors the difficult compromises which you agreed months ago. Where there are changes, be transparent, as urged by the Convention's President. Respect the contribution made by the European Parliament to drawing up this remarkable text by ensuring at least three representatives for Parliament at your working sessions.

Time is short for the work of the IGC to be concluded in good time for the European elections. Let us use this time to sell Europe's new Constitution to our citizens, rather than reopening at length the debate.