Speaking at a press conference in Brussels, Steinmeier said that despite high expectations, the German presidency "will not work wonders, but take responsibility for the issues currently at stake".
Steinmeier said that the constitutional crisis has become "the writing on the wall" for Europe. In order to resolve this crisis but also to ensure the EU's capacity to act, Germany wants to move the constitutional process forward.
The main goal of the German presidency will therefore be better to explain the European project to citizens in an accessible language, culminating in the "Berlin Declaration" on 25 March 2007 to celebrate the EU's 50th anniversary. Together with the member states, the German presidency wants to set up a road map and the broad contents of a constitutional text, which will be presented at the June EU summit in 2007.
The aim is to have all member states ratify a new treaty before the European elections and the appointment of the new Commission in 2009.
