Portugal's Socrates says hopes for EU treaty in Oct

...institutions should be approved at a meeting of EU leaders in October.

"It is our intention that at the next (European) Council meeting in October we will approve the treaty," Socrates told reporters after EU leaders agreed at a summit on a detailed negotiating mandate for a new treaty.

Portugal will be charged with launching the negotiations because it takes over the EU's revolving presidency from Germany on July 1. Socrates said his government would open an Inter-Governmental Conference on the treaty on July 23-24.