Mr dEstaing's draft treaty is far from 'a done-deal'

Reaction to the EU draft constitution has been muted in papers across Europe in comparison with their British counterparts. Among those papers that have commented there is a focus on the removal of the word federal to placate British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Others express disappointment that the draft proposals from the convention on Europe's future did little to promote unity across the expanding EU.

The reference to 'federal' has already fallen victim to British primeval fears of a European superstate in whatever guise it appears.

Die Welt - Germany

The European Convention will set out in one report the results of months of debate. The disappearance of the 'F-Word', as they say in London so they don't have to say the word aloud, is a surprise.

Liberation - France

Tony Blair is under attack from the right at home and he is acting the hard man in Brussels. He has had the 'federal model' scrapped, but it's not enough for him.

La Repubblica - Italy

In order to soothe Britain's fears about the creation of a European super-state, the presidium has chosen to indicate as early as Article 1 that the union exercises its competencies in the 'community' way and not in a 'federal' way as some suggested.

Tageblatt - Luxembourg

The new text does not use the word 'federal'. It has replaced it with 'community', which amounts to the same thing.

SME - Slovakia

The text of the future European constitution will remove the word 'federal' when defining the Union. The reservations of countries such as the United Kingdom about this label have led to a more neutral formula being sought.

La Razon - Spain

The presidium of the convention on the future of Europe presented the draft EU constitution yesterday, partially and with difficulties... London, and to a lesser extent given its lesser weight Madrid, are again proving to be the great enemies of the current process of debate.

Gara - Spain

It was not what united people that emerged, but what divided them. The convention became a battlefield of large against small, left against right and EU proponents against EU sceptics... The aim is to bring the EU closer to citizens. The EU, its goals and decisions were meant to be made simpler and more comprehensible. And none of that has happened.

Die Presse - Austria

Despite discussions on the future division of powers, the idea has not developed sufficiently to enable the Convention authors, divided between reformers and conservatives (led by the Spanish), to present an amended version of these essential articles. It is over this split that the final battle will take place.

La Libre Belgique - Belgium

The EU has much to gain from having a clearer profile in the international arena. But appointing a foreign minister won't be sufficient to do this. For the world to listen to Europe the EU countries must speak with one voice. The split associated with the Iraq conflict clearly shows the difficulties in reaching such agreement.

Sydsvenska Dagbladet - Sweden

The draft European constitution is almost ready, yet the arguments over its final form are by no means dying down... What we do know, however, is that the Union will continue to be called the European Union. Bolder alternatives such as for instance the United States of Europe failed to get through... The 15-month debates and disputes over how to streamline the government of the EU in connection with its enlargement entered a decisive phase yesterday.

Gazeta Wyborcza - Poland

Although, after debates at the convention, several articles were amended, there have been no changes so far to the most controversial issues - those which deal with the roles of EU institutions and with the presidency. These issues are of particular concern to small countries, including Latvia... The 16 small countries, however, are not planning to give up without a fight.

Diena - Latvia

The Slovene parliamentary commission for European affairs is of the opinion that a common foreign, security and defence policy is of great importance for the EU's role in international relations.

Vecer - Slovenia

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.