The European Parliament ratified the text of the first European constitution on Wednesday and called on the governments of all countries of the union to follow this example as soon as possible, reports the Associated Press.

500 deputies voted for the decision to approve the new constitution at a parliamentary meeting in Strasbourg. 137 people were against, 40 abstained.

After the vote, the European Parliament called on European governments to make “every effort to ensure that every European has a clear understanding of what the Constitution says.”

The Prime Minister of Luxembourg, which currently holds the EU presidency, stressed that the adoption of the constitution by the European Parliament is an important fact both in itself and for individual European countries that have yet to ratify the document. Jean-Claude Juncker acknowledged that the process is unlikely to go smoothly in all states. “Of course, the constitution is not ideal, but let’s judge it based on the needs of the European Union,” Juncker urged.

The basic law of the European Union should come into force in 2007, provided that by this time it has been unanimously adopted by all 25 member states of the community.

To date, Hungary and Latvia have adopted constitutions. However, influential members of the EU, which have long been part of it, are in no hurry to approve the document. Many Europeans are skeptical about his provisions. In Spain, a referendum on the adoption of the European Constitution will take place in February, and in the UK only next year.

The text of the constitution was approved in June 2004 after more than two years of discussion and signed by the heads of EU member states four months later. According to the document, the weight of the executive bodies of the community, headed by the EU President, will increase. The EU will also have its own foreign minister, who will represent its interests in the international arena. The powers of pan-European bodies in the fight against international crime and in the field of immigration policy will increase.

The European Parliament ratified the European Constitution