MILAN. Italy. Mar 2: Socialists from 15 European Union nations endorsed Monday's joint manifesto for upcoming European elections stressing their commitment to tackling the social ills facing Europe at the dawn of the 21st century, reports AFP.

Co-author Henri Nallet from France said the 21 point statement was 'more than a campaign text' claiming it ranked asa political event.

The text which was revised ’12 or 13 times' according to Nallet. included "what brings us together and what divides us."

The Agenda 2000 negotiations "shows each of our countries has legitimate interests to defend even while we are trying to stick together and define common objectives." the former French minister added.

Ten heads of government including Britain’s Tony Blair. German Chancellor Gerhad Schroeder. France's Lionel Jospin and Italian Premier Massimo d'Alema were to join about 1.000 delegates and guests

at the three-day congress.

Germany Rudolf Sharping head of the European Socialist Party, opened the congress and lambasted Europe's conservatives calling them "a factor of instability" in European politics because of their inner division."

French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin said the June 13 vote "could be a new chance to move Europe to the left, while Schroeder took a realistic approach and pleaded for tne Agenda 2000.

The agenda which is to define the EU’s financial guidelines for the year 2000-2006 must be agreed upon by the end of March, Schroeder said.

"Without the Agenda 2000, our projects make no sense," he claimed.

The party of European socialists with 214 of 626 seats in the current parliament is the largest political group’. Conservatives of the European People's Party hold 202 and smaller parties the remainder