Germany urges Irish proposal on voting rights

EU/ GERMANY:   Germany wants the EU's Irish presidency to put forward a proposal to end an internal battle over voting rights…

EU/ GERMANY:  Germany wants the EU's Irish presidency to put forward a proposal to end an internal battle over voting rights, a German government official said yesterday.

Under a proposed EU constitution, an enlarged EU would use a "double majority" voting system in which decisions would need to be agreed by at least half its member-states, representing at least 60 per cent of the bloc's population. But Spain and Poland blocked this in December, fearing that it would give too much power to bigger nations.

Ireland is now trying to rescue the constitution by investigating whether other thresholds could find approval.