European Union Foreign Ministers are meeting in the Italian city of Naples in an effort to overcome considerable divisions over the EU's planned constitution.
The talks come two weeks before the EU summit that is due to finalise the plans.
The European Commission has warned that efforts could fail as member states have sharply opposing views on several important issues, such as national vetoes on foreign policy and the distribution of voting powers after the EU takes in new members.
Britain, France and Germany have drafted a deal on EU defence arrangements that could end a dispute with the US, which fears a move to undermine NATO.
