In December 2001, when the European Council met in Laeken, a fresh declaration was adopted committing the EU to greater democracy, transparency and efficiency, and setting out the process by which a constitution could be arrived at.
V decembri roku 2001, na stretnutí Európskej rady v Laekene, bola prijatá nová deklarácia, zaväzujúca EÚ k väčšej demokracii, transparentnosti a efektívnosti, a ujasnila proces, ktorým by sa mohlo dospieť k ústave.