Estonian lawmakers Wednesday began the process of ratifying the European Union Constitution, sending the treaty to a second reading in parliament.

"With this ratification process we are showing other EU member states that the constitution is needed by the EU," Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet told lawmakers.

He added: "The government recommends that parliament ratifies the treaty," which must be approved by all 25 EU member countries to come into effect.

Urmas Reinsalu, head of the Estonian parliament's constitutional affairs committee, told AFP last month that he expected his country, which joined the EU in 2004, to ratify the constitutional treaty early this year.

"We wish to indicate to the 10 or so countries which are still hesitating on the treaty to take positive action too," Reinsalu said.

The EU constitution, aimed at streamlining decision-making in the enlarged 25-member bloc, was put on ice after being rejected by French and Dutch voters last year.

European leaders agreed in June to extend the ratification deadline beyond the original date of November 2006, without setting a new date, to allow member states to pause for reflection.

Italy and Luxembourg last month called for a fresh attempt to ratify the treaty, while Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, whose country currently holds the rotating European Union presidency, promised a "roadmap" to get debate back on track.

Estonia was one of 10 mostly former communist countries to join the EU in May 2004.