So when ordinary Europeans in France and the Netherlands got a chance last week to express their feelings on the latest diktat from Brussels -- the new "Constitution for Europe," a 200-page, 448- article document of turgid prose and numbing detail -- they trashed it. Enthusiastically and emphatically.

For Claire Steinmetz, 37, an art dealer in Amsterdam, it was Brussels' recommendation that the Netherlands scrap the antique fishing boats that ply the Ijsselmeer, the artificial lake north of the city. It is a popular recreation for tourists and Netherlanders alike, but the old boats failed to meet EU specifications for accommodating people with disabilities.

"As a small country, we have a unique identity. We have our own policies on things like soft drugs and on prostitution which are linked to our tourist industry ... and we don't need any interference on these policies from Brussels," said [Iwan Amier], who was among the 63 percent of the Dutch who voted against the constitution.