EU AGREES HISTORIC CONSTITUTION

A deal has been reached on the first constitution for the European Union after hours of talks at the EU summit.

The final text of the constitution was put to leaders of the 25 EU states, who approved it a short time ago.

The accord concludes two days of intense negotiations in Brussels and four years of argument and preparation.

Reports say the other sticking point - a new European Commission president - has been postponed for later talks after a bitter row over candidates.

But both Germany and France backed a compromise constitutional draft put forward by Ireland - the current holder of EU presidency.

Now every country will have to ratify the treaty, either in national parliaments or through public referendums.

Contentment

European leaders toasted the new agreement with champagne, and gave a standing ovation to Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern who brokered the deal.

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair said it paved the way for a flexible Europe of strong nation states co-operating together.

"It's a success for Britain and a success for Europe," he said.

French President Jacques Chirac said the agreement meant "an important day for Europe".

Mr Ahern described it as a "win-win solution" which was advantageous for everyone.

"Nobody was rolled over and we worked hard to achieve that," he said.

The document sets out the powers of the national governments of the member states and the EU's various institutions as well as a charter of fundamental rights and a detailed catalogue of how the union will conduct a wide range of internal and foreign policies.

bbc