BRUSSELS, May 9 (Xinhua) -- European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso will propose another year of reflection on the constitution of the European Union (EU), said Dutch newspaper Financiele Dagblad on Tuesday.

    Government leaders are to be advised that focus should be on using the existing treaties more effectively, the paper quoted a confidential proposal of Barroso as saying.

    Barroso is expected to present the proposal to government leaders in Brussels on Wednesday, said the paper.

    After the Dutch and French rejection of the EU constitution, EU leaders decided in June last year to observe a reflection period of one year. This period expires in one month. There has been no prospect of agreement so far among the government leaders about how to move forward.

    "The Netherlands would think it a good idea to take plenty more time to determine how things should move forward. It is great if Barroso proposes that," a spokesperson for Dutch State Secretary for European Affairs Atzo Nicolai said.

    The new constitution will only come into effect if it is ratified by all 25 member states. So far only 14 have done so either by parliamentary approval or through referendums.

    Barroso is proposing that the government leaders draw up a new political declaration on Europe's values and ambitions this spring, including a promise to realize them, said the paper.

    A debate should then be launched on how to continue with the new constitution, which should also provide for more efficient European decision-making procedures. These are desperately needed in order to keep an enlarged union of 25 members running.

    The proposal will allow the EU to buy some time. Parliamentary elections will be held in the Netherlands next year in May, followed by presidential elections in France a month later. The governments of both countries have ruled out putting the rejected constitutional treaty before voters once again. Enditem