Giuliano Amato, also a former Italian prime minister, lamented in an article for the Il Sole 24 Ore business daily that the EU had done nothing to prevent its member states adopting glaringly different positions on whether to support the US-led war in Iraq.

He said a new position for a foreign policy chief should merge the posts currently held by High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana and the EU Commissioner for External Relations Chris Patten.

"Personally, I am one of those who is fighting for a unification (of the posts). If necessary, with a slightly byzantine double headed title," said Amato.

The European Union could still keep the distinction between the high representative, who answers to member state governments and the commissioner, who represents the EU's executive arm, Amato said.

"This will allow us to unify their respective services and have all together less confusion and more efficiency."

The EU has been split down the middle over the Iraq crisis. France and Germany as well as the EU Commission itself strongly oppose the war, but Britain, Italy and Spain have all thrown their weight behind Washington's hardline stance.

The convention, headed by former French president Valery Giscard d'Estaing, is in theory aiming to draft the future constitution by June, but that target date appears increasingly unlikely to be met.

SPACE.WIRE