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German leader outlines EU plans Merkel backs revived EU charter
(20 minutes later)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has begun setting out her plans for the German presidency of the EU at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has promised to make reviving plans for a European constitution a priority for Germany's presidency of the EU.
Germany's leadership has been keenly awaited and Mrs Merkel's plans, not least for the EU constitution, will be closely watched, correspondents say. Setting out her plans at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, she said she would make sure a new document was drawn up.
However, Germany has been damping down expectations that it will be able to find a way out of that impasse. Mrs Merkel stressed European values of "freedom... variety... tolerance".
Germany's leadership has been keenly awaited and MEPs hope it can inject new momentum into the EU, analysts say.
"Succeeding together" is Mrs Merkel's motto for the six-month tenure."Succeeding together" is Mrs Merkel's motto for the six-month tenure.
Ambitious programme
Germany is one of Europe's heavyweights, and expectations are high.Germany is one of Europe's heavyweights, and expectations are high.
But it is the vexed question of the EU constitution, which was supposed to simplify working arrangements and decision-making, that has attracted the greatest attention. Berlin has listed an ambitious programme, including progress on energy security and climate change, free-trade deals with the US, a new treaty with Russia, and greater peace efforts for the Middle East.
The constitution has been on ice since it was rejected by French and Dutch voters 18 months ago. Mrs Merkel, in contrast with the line taken by the previous German government, told MEPs that closer co-operation with the US was "in the highest interests of Europe".
Mrs Merkel has said she will take an ambitious approach, but she is not promising any solutions. She said Europe must "accelerate the peace process" in the Middle East, must be united in its approach to Iran's nuclear programme, and must work for peaceful development in Afghanistan.
Among Germany's other priorities are energy security and greater coherence in EU foreign policy. She also said it was "worthwhile and clever to invest in Africa, not just economically but politically", and promised to prepare the ground for an EU-African summit.
In March, EU leaders will mark the European Union's 50th birthday with a Berlin declaration on its fundamental values and aims - but do not expect a big fanfare, says the BBC's Alix Kroeger in Strasbourg. This greater coherence in EU foreign policy, she said, demanded that the EU had its own foreign minister.
That is not Mrs Merkel's style, and the EU is not in much of a party mood, our correspondent says. The proposal for a foreign minister was part of the draft EU constitution which was rejected by French and Dutch voters 18 months ago. The constitution was also supposed to simplify working arrangements and decision-making.
Mrs Merkel said the constitution would be "the legal text [which] will be the fundament on which Europe will build new rules and regulations", and that Europe needed "clear-cut rules and regulations".
But despite her ambitious approach, Germany has been damping down expectations that it will be able to find a way out of the impasse, says the BBC's Alix Kroeger in Strasbourg.
In March, EU leaders will mark the European Union's 50th birthday with a Berlin declaration on its fundamental values and aims - but do not expect a big fanfare, says our correspondent.
That is not Mrs Merkel's style, and the EU is not in much of a party mood.