EU CONSTITUTION:EU diplomats will begin crucial talks tomorrow aimed at solving the impasse caused by the rejection of the EU constitution in referendums in France and the Netherlands.
Envoys from all 27 EU states will meet in Berlin to begin negotiations on a new institutional treaty that would map out how the union takes decisions and the policies it should pursue.
The talks by the constitutional "sherpas" will focus on agreeing a "slimmed down" treaty, which is less ambitious than the constitutional treaty rejected by Dutch and French voters in 2005.
France, the Netherlands, Britain, Poland and the Czech Republic have pressed German chancellor Angela Merkel to negotiate an amended treaty, which they can ratify in parliament rather than by referendum.
Dr Merkel, whose country holds the six-month rotating EU presidency, expressed confidence at the weekend that a solution could be found that all EU states would sign up to at a future intergovernmental conference.
At a "mini EU summit" in Portugal, Dr Merkel said the EU needed an institutional treaty to enable it to meet the challenge of globalisation.
European Commission president José Manuel Barroso, who attended with the prime ministers of Portugal and Slovenia (the states that will hold the next two EU presidencies), called for "team spirit" among states.
A diplomat at the summit said the discussions centred on how to find a balance between the 18 EU states that have ratified the constitution and want an ambitious treaty, and those that have concerns about the constitution.
To meet the concerns of constitution doubters, the "sherpas" have already agreed to strip out parts of the document that could be interpreted as impinging on statehood - its "constitution" title, an EU flag and hymn.
The EU foreign minister proposed in the constitution may lose the official title, but retain the functions of the post.
But differences remain in several areas, including the voting system in the constitution. This "double majority" system gives more weight to big states such as Germany because it is based principally on population. Poland in particular wants to reopen talks on the issue, but many EU states believe revisiting this issue could cause the negotiations to unravel.
The Czech Republic is also sceptical about the voting system. The Czech sherpa, Jan Zahradil, told The Irish Times yesterday that the Czechs would not allow a weakening of their own position in the talks.