The European Parliament adopted the report by Richard Corbett and Iñigo Méndez de Vigo on 12 January 2005 by 500 votes to 137, with 40 abstentions: it has approved the treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe and "wholeheartedly supports its ratification".

Noting that the European Union was coming to a turning point in its existence, the European Council which met in Laeken, Belgium, on 14 and 15 December2001 convened the European Convention on the future of Europe. The Convention was asked to draw up proposals on three subjects: how to bring...