EU criticises killing of Yassin

Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was killed in an Israeli missile strike

European Union leaders have condemned Israel's assassination of Palestinian militant cleric Sheikh Ahmed Yassin as a violation of international law.

Ending a two-day summit in Brussels, the leaders expressed "deep concern" over the killing, which they said had worsened the Middle East conflict.

They also repeated their condemnation of guerrilla attacks against Israelis.

On Iraq, they called for a United Nations Security Council resolution to support an increased role for the UN.

In the summit conclusions, the leaders said they "look forward to the UN playing a vital and growing role endorsed by the UN Security Council in the run-up to transition and beyond".

The EU leaders warned that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was moving "ever further" from a peace settlement following the killing of Sheikh Yassin.

The elderly cleric - who was the spiritual leader of the militant group Hamas - was accused by Israel of ordering suicide bombings.

They condemned "the present cycle of retaliatory violence" and renewed the EU's commitment to an Israeli-Palestinian peace settlement based on a two-state solution.

Key agreements

Correspondents say leaders of the 25 current and future EU countries been keen to put out a message of unity at this summit, following the 11March train bombings in Madrid.

The leaders have agreed to revive the drive to agree a landmark constitution, boost joint efforts to fight terrorism, and to work towards economic reform.

On the constitution, they set themselves a mid-June deadline to broker a deal following the last year's collapse of talks amid an acrimonious row over voting rights.

The draft constitution was designed to allow the EU to function smoothly once 10 new members are admitted in May.

But talks broke down in December over the distribution of power in the EU Council of Ministers between Germany and France on one hand, and Poland and Spain on the other.

Spain and Poland wanted to stick to the system agreed at Nice in 2000, which gave them influence disproportionate to their size.

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But they have now agreed in principle to negotiate on a version of the "double majority" solution, under which decisions must be passed by more than half the member states, representing more than 60% of the EU's population.

Correspondents say a new spirit of compromise has emerged since the shock election victory earlier this month by the socialists in Spain on the back of the Madrid bomb blasts.

However, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday said he wanted an early deal - but was not prepared to give away British controls on key policies like tax, defence and criminal justice.

In the light of the Madrid blasts, which killed 190 people, the EU leaders have agreed on a range of security measures, including the naming of an anti-terrorism co-ordinator.

Dutch politician Gijs de Vries, who starts work on Monday, will be responsible for pooling Europe-wide intelligence.

Other measures include improving the sharing of intelligence, increasing border controls and implementing a pan-European arrest warrant.