'States like Britian could derail' new EU treaty

By Bruno Waterfield in Ljubljana
Last Updated: 2:56am GMT 29/12/2007

The new EU treaty might not be ratified because "sensitive" countries such as Britain will pick over the detail of a text that many consider is too "close" to the rejected Constitution, the man in charge of the process has said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/news/2007/12/29/weu129.xml

Like the old constitution, the new treaty creates a permanent EU president, a "foreign minister" - known as the High Representative for Foreign Affairs - scraps 55 national vetoes and gives new legal authority for the EU, allowing it to sign international treaties.