BERLIN, May 12 (Xinhuanet) -- Germany's Bundestag overwhelmingly approved the constitution for the European Union (EU) on Thursday.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (C) is surrounded by members of the German lower house of parliament as he casts his ballot during a vote at the Bundestag in Berlin May 12. (Xinhua/AFP)

    A total of 569 members of the Bundestag, or the lower chamber, voted for the constitution while 23 against and 2 abstained.

    The Bundesrat, or the upper house, will vote on May 27.

    Addressing the Bundestag just before the vote, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder underlined the importance of Germany voting in favor of the EU constitution.

    "I ask you not to be too petty or too obsessed with the detail of the odd half sentence that may not completely meet our expectations," said Schroeder.

    The constitution, agreed in Brussels on June 18, 2004, brings together for the first time treaties and agreements on which the EU is based.

    It defines the powers of the EU, stating where it can and act and where the member states retain their right of veto.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder addresses the Bundestag.

    On Wednesday, uring Bundestag members to support the charter, Schroeder said that the document was a "good and fair compromise."

    Germany and France are two driving powers for the constitution.

    Appeasing fears that Germany and France would try to dominate the EU, Schroeder stressed that the constitution "does not create a French or German Europe."

    Despite support in Germany, the constitution faced difficulties in France, where a referendum on the document will take place on May 29.

Germany's Bundestag overwhelmingly approved the constitution for the European Union (EU) on Thursday. (AFP)

    Some French voters fear it will create an ultra-free market economy within the EU, undermining traditional French levels of social protection.

    The constitution, which is a treaty among 25 states, cannot come into force unless it is ratified by all of them.

    So a French "No" would mean the constitutional treaty is almostcertainly dead.

    Under the constitution, the EU Commission president will continue to lead the body responsible for proposing and executing EU laws.

    But the European Council will now elect a president for a two-and-a-half year term, renewable once. The system of rotating the presidency every six months will be cancelled.

    A new position of foreign minister will be created. Enditem