Speaking to MEPs in Strasbourg, Silvio Berlusconi, the head of the rotating Council Presidency, explained on 22 October that in order to find a compromise on the outstanding issues relating to the new EU Constitution, a negotiating method has been chosen which is "different from previous ones".
This new method consists of three phases: the first phase aims to map out the positions of individual governments.
In the second phase, the Italian Presidency puts together a first proposed solution.
The third phase serves as the "examination" of the individual points of this compromise with Member State governments, with a view to achieving unanimity.
This compromise is then debated by the Foreign Affairs Council at the end of November and then put forward at the 12-13 December meeting of the IGC.
If necessary, an informal meeting would be convened mid-November.
