ELDR delegation leaders back "largest third force in EP history"

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 30th Jun 2004

The Bureau of the Group of the Party of European Liberal Democrats and Reformers in the European Parliament - comprising the leaders of all national delegations to the ELDR Group - will recommend to the ELDR Group at its meeting in Brussels on July 13 2004:

• That the members of the exisiting ELDR group in the European Parliament unite in a new group in the European Parliament with MEPs from Francois Bayrou's UDF and Romano Prodi's Olive Tree Coalition to create a new centre force in the European Parliament. This new group, which may attract other MEPs, would number at least 80 MEPs.

• That the new group be called the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (in French Alliance des Démocrates et Libéraux pour l'Europe). This name reflects the Liberal and Democratic traditions that come together in this new formation. The name stresses the new group's profound commitment to a stronger European Union.

• That the new group adopt a programatic basis for its work in the next European Parliament. It will be a distinctively pro-European platform, which will be launched early next week.

ELDR leader, and architect of the deal for the ELDR Group, Mr Graham Watson MEP (Liberal Democrat, UK) said:

"This has the potential to be an historic moment in the history of the European Parliament. A new group on this scale and these terms would be the largest third force in European Parliament history. I was mandated by the MEPs of the ELDR Group to seek an alliance that would unite the forces in the centre of the European political spectrum. With our French and Italian partners we have begun to change the alignment of European politics back towards the liberal and democratic traditions of the political centre. Not only does this have the potential to put the politics back in Brussels, but it will provide a powerful show of commitment to advancing the work of a closer, stronger European Union."