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EU constitution signed in Rome
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Fri, Oct 29, 2004
Source UPI
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ROME -- The leaders of the European Union's 25 member states gathered in Rome Friday to sign the new EU constitution.
Later in the day the heads of state planned to return home to try and sell the document to lawmakers or citizens, depending on how each member state intends to seek ratification, the Times of London reported. As many as 19 countries will hold referendums, with the first vote expected in Spain in February. The rest will put the question to a parliamentary vote. The deadline for ratification is June 2006. Opinion polls suggest at least four nations -- Britain, Poland, the Czech Republic and Denmark -- could reject it, while in France and Ireland sentiment is split. Security for Friday's signing was unprecedented, with as many as 7,000 police and security forces on the streets to protect EU leaders, while a squadron of F-16 fighters enforcing a no-fly zone over the city center, which has been closed to the public, as has one of Rome's airports. Copyright 2004 by United Press International
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