EU justice ministers to discuss Constitution

Via RTÉ

Justice and interior ministers of the European Union are to discuss a framework for talks on reviving the EU Constitution during three days of talks in Germany which are due to begin later today.

The talks in Dresden are the first major ministerial gathering of the new EU of 27 states.

Germany, which holds the rotating presidency of the union, has asked member states to nominate interlocutors for consideration of each country's position on the Constitution.


The treaty was rejected by voters in the Netherlands and France in 2005 but has been ratified by two-thirds of the countries in EU.

Police co-operation and the fight against illegal immigration are also expected to be high on the agenda at the talks.

The German Interior Minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, has said he would like to see a treaty on police co-operation agreed.

Mr Schaeuble has also highlighted the idea of 'circular migration', a method for minimising the so-called brain drain from poor countries of origin by promoting the return of professionals after a period in the West.

'We are all fully convinced of the need to closely co-operate with the countries of origin and transit,' he said. 'We must also fight this terrible situation that people are dragged on to boats which are not fit to travel into the Mediterranean sea.'

Other topics on the agenda for EU justice ministers include the possibility of harmonising divorce laws as well as the problem of violent video games.

Woo! about time discussions were restarted on it!