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The European Constitution was signed in October 2004, but was rejected in referendums by France and the Netherlands in 2005. After a two year period, on the 23rd of June 2007 the EU leaders agreed on a detailed mandate for a new Intergovernmental Conference. The task of this Intergovernmental Conference was to draw up a Reform Treaty by the end of 2007. The details of the 'Reform Treaty' still need to be agreed upon, with the Portuguese Presidency hoping to clinch an agreement in October 2007, however many parts of the original Constitution of 2004 are set to be included.
The Orthodox Church in Europe along with other european churches petitioned the Union for the inclusion of a clause recognizing Europe's Christian heritage, and this . This was included in the original treaty of 2004 (in the Preamble, and in Article I-52), albeit in a modified and reduced form from the wording that the Inter-Orthodox consulatation had requested. It remains to be seen if this will be carried over into the 2007 treaty.
Made in Herakleion of Crete, on 19 March 2003.([http://orthodoxeurope.org/print/14/10.aspx 1])
==Actual Wording of the Draft Constituional Constitutional Treaty of 2004==
* TITLE VI: The Democratic Life of the Union
In addition, Article I-52 of the Constitution obliges the Union to engage in an open, transparent and regular dialogue with churches and religious associations, just as it does with civil society.
Finally, the Charter of Fundamental Rights now enshrined in the Constitution lays down that everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion (Article II-70). ([http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/05/112&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en 12])
* Russian Orthodox Church Representation to the European Institutions. "[http://orthodoxeurope.org/print/14/10.aspx Conclusions of the Inter-Orthodox Consultation on the Draft Constitutional Treaty of the European Union (Herakleion, Crete, 18–19 March 2003)]" (orthodoxeurope.org)
* [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/JOHtml.do?uri=OJ:C:2004:310:SOM:EN:HTML Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe]. 16 December, 2004 (2004/C 310/01). Full text of the Draft Constiutional Constitutional Treaty of the European Union.
* EUROPA Rapid Press Releases. "[http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/05/112&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en Questions & answers on the Constitution]"
