[autom.vertaling] Estland om grondwet te veranderen om de EU in te gaan (en)
EUOBSERVER / TALLINN - Estonia is in the process of changing its constitution, as the present one does not give it the legal right to join the EU. During the second reading of the bill on Tuesday, the justice chancellor, Allar Joks, proposed a special article to protect Estonian sovereignty. The new article says that should the EU develop in an unsuitable direction for Estonia, the clause will provide the basis for secession.
Federalism - an unsuitable direction for Estonia
If the EU developed towards federalism that would be seen as an unsuitable direction for Estonia, according to Mart Nutt, member of the constitutional and the European affairs commission in the Estonian Parliament. "Estonia cannot be part of a federal EU," he said. A federal EU is no longer a union of sovereign states, if Estonia ever would wish to be part of a federal EU it would have to amend its constitution, Mr Nutt added.
The bill was tabled in May and will soon enter the third and also the last reading. Then it will be put for a referendum. At the same referendum, Estonians will be asked whether Estonia should join the EU. The referendum will probably take place at the end of August or the beginning of September 2003.