"Significant day" for future of Europe

European Union (EU) leaders meeting in Greece agreed on Friday that a draft for a EU rule-book "is a good basis for starting" to creat a formal constitution for the future of an enlarged EU aimed at establishing a driving force in a multi-polar world. The Summit is being hosted by Greece, the current EU presidency holder, from Thursday to Saturday. Greek Prime minister and current EU president Costas Simitis said EU leaders approved the draft treaty establishing constitution for Europe and gave Italy the task to launch talks among current and future EU members, the so-called intergovernmental conference (IGC), for finalizing a historic EU constitution before the European Parliament holds general elections next June. On Friday, former French president Valery Giscard d'Estaing, president of the EU convention for drafting the constitutional treaty, presented the works by his 105-strong team to EU leaders for approval. After the leaders expressed their endorsement of the blueprint,Giscard d'Estaing said this Friday "is a significant day" in European history since all European leaders at the summit backed the draft which has laid the foundation for a final European constitution.