BRUSSELS, June 23 (UPI) -- Outgoing Prime Minister Tony Blair says the European Union treaty signed in Brussels will be a boon to Great Britain.
"There is a fantastic opportunity for this country today," Blair said, "because I think a stronger EU is in Britain's interest."
The treaty signed in Brussels at Blair's last EU summit was argued through the night before the leaders of the 27 EU states agreed it would replace the failed European Constitution, rejected by Dutch and French voters in 2005, Sky News reported Saturday.
The treaty, which takes effect in 2009, creates a new post of President of Europe and a single legal identity for the EU, allowing it to agree to international deals.
The treaty lets Britain opt-out of a charter of human and social rights while retaining an independent foreign policy and tax and benefit arrangements, Sky news reported.
