José Socrates, Prime Minister of Portugal and current president of the EU Council, received in the morning at the Monastery of Geronimo, in Lisbon, the 27 heads of state and government, gathered for signing the Reform Treaty that will replace the Constitution. Most of the guests spoke, on arrival, of the mild climate (warm and windy) that welcomed them in the Portuguese capital today. The official ceremony, starting slightly later than planned (11.30 am), will include speeches from the president of the EU Commission, José Manuel Barroso, from the president of the EU Parliament, Hans-Gert Poettering, and from Socrates himself, followed by the signing of the Treaty. In addition, Socrates gave the political leaders of the EU an invitation to tomorrow’s summit in Brussels to discuss foreign policy (the situation in Kosovo will be the first item on the agenda), the review of the Lisbon Strategy for growth and employment, starting from a Commission document, energy and migration. The summit will also discuss, writes Socrates, "the establishment of a Group" to reflect on the future of Europe (a Committee of Sages) and a declaration on globalisation.
