BBC NEWS: EU constitution - what happens next?

BBC NEWSEU constitution - what happens next?

An EU summit, known as the European Council, is being held on 16-17 June in Brussels. This will have to examine whether it is worth carrying on with the ratification process in other member states or whether to declare the treaty dead. The treaty itself simply assumes that all member states will go through their ratification procedures.

There is a procedure to discuss deadlock. The draft constitution says (in Article IV-443-4) that if, after two years from the treaty being signed (which was on 29 October 2004), 20 member states have ratified it and others "have encountered difficulties", the "matter will be referred to the European Council".