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On April 28, the German Marshall Fund convened about 45 European and American policy experts to discuss the EU Constitution and its impact on transatlantic relations one month before a crucial French referendum.  The one-and-a-half day conference was held in Washington, DC, to raise awareness of Europe’s new constitution on the other side of the Atlantic and to consider the possible outcomes of the ongoing ratification process.   In a morning session, participants considered what, if anything, the European constitution would change in the transatlantic relationship.  Discussion centered on questions of EU enlargement, with several Europeans expressing concern that the constitution’s potential failure would halt accession negotiations with Turkey and stall progress in Ukraine and the Balkans.  An inward-looking EU, some suggested, would have negative consequences for a United States that has tried to remain engaged in European neighborhood policy.   The afternoon session saw greater debate on what a constitutional Europe would mean for the relevance of NATO in world affairs.  While all participants agreed that NATO remains an important institution for transatlantic dialogue, some proposed that the organization alone may not be sufficient to address pressing global issues that the Euro-Atlantic community face like the China arms embargo and Iran’s nuclear ambitions.  The group identified a need for a geo-strategic dialogue between the United States and the European Union to discuss such issues that cannot be dealt with through NATO alone.  The United States and the EU, the participants said, should look to improve their relationship and facilitate more regular and permanent multi-level dialogue.      The first day ended with a keynote address by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Breyer, who evaluated the EU Constitution from an American legal perspective.  Philippe de Schoutheete, former Belgian permanent representative to the European Union, and Pierre Levy, head of policy planning at the French foreign ministry, also spoke.   The conference concluded the following morning with a wrap-up session to review the core issues and policy goals identified the previous day.  A report of the group’s conclusions will be published during the summer.