Poland: The President of the European Parliament, Mr Pat Cox, has offered to help break the deadlock over EU voting rights during talks in Warsaw yesterday with the Polish Prime Minister, Mr Leszek Miller.
Mr Cox told the Polish leader that the European Parliament was prepared to help him discuss with Polish opposition parties the issues of concern surrounding the constitutional treaty.
"If the grounds are there we can also engage in the discussion, not to interfere in Polish sovereignty, but to engage from a European vantage point," he said.
Mr Cox said that Mr Miller "still has an open mind" on when an agreement might be reached on the constitutional treaty.
But the two men agreed it would not be helpful if the matter dragged on and "became conflated with other EU issues", such as the upcoming budget negotiations or the Turkey question.
"Mr Miller remains to be convinced about the moment", said Mr Cox.
"But we agreed on the need to build up trust and mutual confidence between the key players."
Advisers to Mr Miller said that no concrete position was reached, but that the prime minister found the suggestions of Mr Cox to be "very hopeful".
"Mr Miller is convinced after his visit to Dublin last week that Ireland understands Poland's position," said Prof Tadeusz Iwinski, secretary of state for international affairs in the prime minister's office. "However, the word compromise was not used."
Mr Miller, who heads a minority coalition government, explained to Mr Cox the difficulties he faces. Ratification would require a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament or more than 50 per cent of the vote in a referendum.
"He said that neither option was that straightforward," said Mr Cox, but that Mr Miller felt "contracted" to only agree a deal in Brussels he knew would be ratified in Poland.
During a meeting last week with the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, Mr Miller said the retention of the voting rights secured under the Nice Treaty remains "fundamental" to Poland's position.