The impasse on the EU Constitutional Treaty should not be seen as a crisis, but as an ideal opportunity for reflection, Labour’s spokesman on European Affairs George Vella said yesterday.

Speaking to Gallup Europe, Dr Vella said that this period of reflection should be used by politicians, academics, civil society groups, NGOs and EU institutions to focus on the EU's functions in the years to come.

Dr Vella said many citizens were still misinformed on the Constitutional Treaty and he called for a public relations campaign to provide accurate information about it. He said the process had originally been intended to bring people closer to the EU but, sadly, it had ended up as a political football between member states.