It may feel like the ink is barely dry on the Amsterdam Treaty, and yet we are into another round of EU treaty reform and probably two.
The truth is, we should have got it right the last time - the treaty changes that will be drafted between January and a summit in December next will largely be the "leftovers" of Amsterdam.
Not that that makes them easy, as the Taoiseach pointed out over the weekend.
The idea that they could be wrapped up by the summer, allowing plenty of time to discuss the more radical agenda of the Commission President, Mr Romano Prodi - treaty restructuring or reform of "flexibility" - is just wishful thinking, he argued.
But leaders have not closed the door on Mr Prodi completely. Defining the remit of the treaty-changing Inter-Governmental Conference (IGC) in terms of the "leftovers" and a couple of specific other items, the summit declaration nevertheless provides that the incoming Portuguese presidency "may propose additional issues to be taken on to the agenda of the Conference".
The debate on the issue will not have been much comfort to Mr Prodi, however, with strong support for a more radical agenda from the Benelux countries and Italy, while Spain, Britain, Germany and Ireland made it clear they were having none of it. It is the latter group that is likely to prevail.
But the process of treaty reform will not stop here. The treaty requires another IGC before the Union takes in its fifth new member, so within two years of the end of this round we could well be into another and Mr Prodi's time may come.
The "leftover" items are interrelated, and reflect important national interests.
The large member-states will not agree to reduce their entitlement to two commissioners unless they know that the reweighting of votes in the Council of Ministers has secured them a compensating extension of influence there.
And, as the negotiators at the last IGC discovered, while everyone may be in favour of extending qualified majority voting (QMV) in theory, specifics are more difficult. The IGC will be officially launched in February.
MEPs will be disappointed that their role will not be enhanced - two observers will attend the preparatory group's work and when the meetings move to ministerial level each will be preceded by an address from the Parliament's President, Ms Nicole Fontaine.
