"Europe has come out of its institutional crisis and is ready to face the challenges of the future": José Socrates, Portuguese Prime Minister and president on duty of the EU Council, welcomed this morning the delegations of the 27 member states that will take part in the EU Summit at the Pavilhao Atlantico of the International Fair in Lisbon. Agreement about the future Reform Treaty was reached in the night and will be ratified today. In this way, the European Union overcomes the deadlock that had been brought about by the French and Dutch votes against the Constitution in 2005; the new text will be "very probably" signed "in Lisbon" explain some Portuguese diplomatic sources , "fifty years after the Treaties that established the EEC". "Europe will be stronger added Socrates and will be able to look to the future with greater confidence". The president of the EU Commission, the Portuguese José Manuel Barroso, states: "With the new Treaty, the EU will have more acting power". The summit will continue today with a session starting at 10.30 am (local time) and supposedly ending at 01.00 pm with the final press conference by the Portuguese president.
