Bot: Netherlands No Longer The Negative Member Within EU
THE HAGUE, 10/06/06 - The Netherlands no longer wants to be seen as the negative member within the EU. The government will try to convey this message to the other EU members. The Lower House appears to support this constructive position. A year of reflection after the Dutch rejection of the European Constitution has provided perspective, said Foreign Minister Ben Bot. "Scepticism has changed to a clear view for 2009 when the time comes to set up a legal framework to supplement the old Treaty of Nice". Meanwhile, it will be a matter of working on a concrete Europe with the defeated Constitution as inspiration, but without neglecting contact with citizens, Bot said in the Lower House. During the debate, Bot even heard Eurosceptics like MP André Rouvoet (ChristenUnie) tell him "not to be too spastic about future treaty changes" necessary to keep the EU manageable. Along with leftwing Green (GroenLinks) MP Farah Karimi, Rouvoet urged a businesslike approach to adapting the Treaty of Nice. Most parties agree the treaty offers insufficient possibilities for building for the future, especially after the EU's recent enlargement.
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