EU REFORM: TREATY SIGNING CEREMONY PAVES THE WAY TO POST-NICE DEBATE.

Initialled in Nice on 10 December 2000, the new European Union Treaty is a "coherent and balanced Treaty", said Jacques Chirac, during the signing ceremony. However, he also appeared to contradict himself when he admitted that, "Because it is, in common with all European agreements, the result of a compromise, it of course failed to live up to expectations". Mr Jospin said his Government "would be taking steps in March to launch the procedure for having the Nice Treaty ratified" by the French Parliament. Goran Persson, whose country now holds the EU Presidency, spoke of a "historic document" which removes the final obstacles to enlargement. "This is a welcome boost to the new EU developments and we can be proud of having reached an agreement", he stressed.Nicole Fontaine was less upbeat, suggesting that the "everyone had to move a bit closer to make room at the EU table for the 12 newcomers. The process was too hard-going, obviously too bogged down in logrolling...