The Irish Presidency of the European Union starts its most challenging month on Monday as foreign ministers meet to thrash out the text of a constitution for the bloc, ahead of a summit of EU leaders on June 17

Irish Premier Bertie Ahern has been touring EU capitals since early May to try to reach consensus on outstanding wrangles in the charter, seen as vital for the smooth running of the bloc which expanded on May 1 to 25 members from 15. His trips appear to be paying off, with Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of Spain - with Poland one of two countries blamed for the collapse of talks on the charter last December - saying on Friday the bloc was close to agreement. "We are close to what may be an understanding and global consensus in the whole Union," he said after meeting Ahern in Madrid. The charter, drafted by a 105-member convention of lawmakers from across the bloc, failed to gain acceptance last year mainly because of disagreement over how voting powers should be divided between member states.