The EU assembly chief told leaders from the bloc's 25 current and future member states that the convention produced a constitutional blueprint with a broad institutional balance after 16-month efforts made by 105 drafters led by former French president Valery Giscard d'Estaing.

Citing key achievements by the EU convention, Cox said the draft proposes a legal personality for the "ever closer union," simplifies decision-making system, provides adequate controls between EU institutions and national governments, clarifies "who does what," and provides for "a unified foreign affairs structure" under a foreign minister at the EU level.

Governments of EU member states will have final say about the draft Treaty Establishing Constitution for Europe. They will start in October to negotiate the details of the draft constitution at an intergovernmental conference (IGC) expected to end in next May.

In his opening speech at the EU summit in Salonika, the second largest city of Greece, Cox said the IGC will be concluded "in good time before the 2004 European (Parliament) elections."

"Having the treaty agreed well before the next European (Parliament) elections is important. Our citizens have the right to know what they are voting for, what role this parliament is destined to have in the wider Europe," Cox said at the beginning of the EU summit being held in Greece, the current EU presidency holder, from Thursday to Saturday.

"I also hope that the new treaty can contribute to making the next elections to the European Parliament the first real European elections," the president added.

(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2003)