BRUSSELS, June 17 (Xinhuanet) - European Union (EU) leaders meeting here decided on Thursday evening to extend the deadline for the ratification of the European constitution indefinitely beyond November 2006, preventing the bloc's first ever charter treaty from being pronounced dead.

    The decision was taken amid fears that a domino effect would influence other countries, who had still been planning to have a referendum, to reject the document.

    "This is a realistic outcome. The leaders have been left with noother choice better than this one," an observer said.

    Earlier this month, shortly after Germany and the Netherlands rejected the constitution, Britain, which takes over the EU's presidency from Luxembourg next month, announced it was suspendingplans for its own referendum.

    Then came the opinion polls which showed that voters in other countries may well dig an even deeper hole for the EU leaders if they are allowed to vote on the constitution.

    But the leaders are still stressing that the constitution itself will not be renegotiable and that ratification will continue.

    Announcing the decision, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who currently is the head of the EU presidency, said on Thursday that the leaders "all believe that the constitution is the right answer to the many questions of the European people" and"believe that ratification must continue."

    European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso also said Europe "is not going to stop" and "the EU has to meet citizens' expectations in Europe."

    But after the EU announcement, a number of countries joined Britain to postpone the ratification process of the constitution.

    Denmark delayed a September 27 referendum without giving new date. Portugal also pushed back an October referendum indefinitely.Sweden postponed a December parliamentary vote while Finland put off an early-2006 vote.

    Czech Republic, which had not yet set a date, put the ratification process on hold.

    Even Luxembourg, one of the big beneficiaries of the European Union, is wavering. Prime Minister Juncker said it was up to his country's lawmakers to decide whether to go ahead with a referendum on July 10.

    The European constitution, which was signed by EU government chiefs last October, plans to create the posts of EU president andforeign minister to enhance the powers of the European Parliament.It will only come into effect after being ratified by all 25 member countries. Enditem