A Constitution was drafted to lay down the appropriate institutions and political processes which would allow the enlarged European Union to act efficiently and transparently and assume an international role that is commensurate with its economic and political weight. Fourteen countries, representing around half of the European Union’s population, have ratified this Constitution or are very close to formal completion.
In France and the Netherlands, however, where the draft Constitution was put to a referendum, it did not find majority support. In June 2005, the European Heads of State or Government discussed the reasons and implications. They concluded that the results did not call into question the citizens’ attachment to the European construction process.