Greens await new EU constitution

The Green Party will wait until governments agree a new EU constitution before deciding whether to ask its members to support the document, the party leader Mr Trevor Sargent said yesterday.

Mr Sargent said he would be in favour of proposing a position to the membership "if we are to adopt a united position".

Speaking after four of the party's six TDs said they would oppose the draft constitution agreed by the European Convention if its institutional and defence provisions were not changed, Mr Sargent reserved his position on the draft.

Members will be asked to vote on the constitution if there is agreement on the final text at the EU Inter-Governmental Conference now under way. After the Greens opposed the referendums on the Amsterdam and Nice Treaties, the move could see the party advocate a Yes vote in a referendum on a new constitution.