But this change is not going to mean much to the critics who say the government - and the Independent Banking Commission - should have opted for absolute separation from the start.

BBC: UK banking reforms: What's new?

The Commission said that seven years should be the absolute maximum for such restrictions to remain in force and that they must be "proportionate".

BBC: EU chides UK over migrant workers from Eastern Europe

The new Lisbon Treaty raises the threshold for approving a new commission from a simple majority of MEPs present, to an absolute majority, ie, more than half of all MEPs must approve each new college of commissioners.

ECONOMIST: European politics

By the afternoon, the election commission was announcing that Mr Kocharian had fallen just short of an absolute majority: he had 49.8%, and must face a run-off after all.

ECONOMIST: Armenia's presidential vote

Israel insists on seven days of absolute Palestinian quiet before any move can be made towards implementing the political ingredients of the Mitchell commission's proposals, and thus haul the conflict back towards negotiations.

ECONOMIST: Israeli-Palestinian fighting