Rome in October

It's official – foreign ministers of EU member states have agreed that the EU constitution will be signed on 29 October, at a special ceremony in Rome. It will be at the same site where the Treaty of Rome was signed in 1957.

Berlusconi had said that the signing would be on 20 November, but the date has been changed to allow Prodi – with only two days before the end of his term - to join in the signing ceremony.

Then the fun will start, as the 25 member states race for ratification, and the project drains into the sand.