ROME, 30/10/04 - Government leaders of the 25 EU countries signed the European Constitution in Rome on Friday. All member states still have to ratify it. This can be via parliamentary approval, but 10 countries are also holding a referendum.

In the Netherlands, the referendum will be in March at the earliest, but probably in May or June. If approved by all countries, the Constitution will come into effect in 2007, though some matters come into effect two years later. A summary of the most important changes:

- The rotating presidency of EU summits will disappear. There will be a permanent EU president for 2.5 years. For meetings of EU specialist ministers, a six-monthly rotating presidency will continue.

- A European 'minister' of Foreign Affairs is to give the EU's foreign policy more of a face. He or she will sit on and be vice-president of the European Commission.

- The European Commission will continue to include one representative per member state until 2014. After that, member states will have a seat in a commission provisionally consisting of 18 seats on the basis of an equal rotating system between large and small EU countries and a geographical balance.

- Mainly under pressure from the Netherlands, the veto right will be retained for decisions on the EU budget. Member states' veto rights will also be retained in a large number of areas, including foreign policy, justice and fiscal matters.

- Majority decisions will require the support of 55 percent of member states, also representing 65 percent of the total EU population. At least 15 member states must approve a decision. A group of four member states can however block proposals.

- The number of seats in the European Parliament will rise to a maximum of 750. Small member states will have a guaranteed minimum of six seats. The European Parliament will also have more say in a limited number of areas such as justice and asylum policy, for which it will have co-decision rights.

- Member states must try extra hard in economically difficult times to get their budget deficits in order. In monitoring the EU budget rules, the European Commission will have a role, though not as big as the Netherlands had wanted.

- Citizens or action groups can ask the European Commission to put forward legislative proposals in a specific area, if they can collect a million signatures for this. The commission is not however required to make laws. ?