Leaders Agree EU Constitution

19/06/2004| IslamWeb

The EU finally struck accord on a groundbreaking constitution yesterday to shake up its institutions to cope with a growing and more unwieldy membership, six months after efforts to strike a deal collapsed. But agreement on the second major issue confronting European Union leaders at a summit here, the choice of a successor to Romano Prodi as chief of the European Commission, remained elusive. Diplomats said that the constitutional deal was largely in the bag after hours of bilateral sessions between Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, the EU's current chairman and key partners. "I really think that the (EU leaders) will probably be very contented that we have reached finality on the IGC (inter-governmental conference) and on the constitutional treaty," Ireland's Europe Minister Dick Roche said. Diplomats said the leaders were set to resume round-table talks to formally adopt the constitution, which has been two years and four months in the making. The last attempt to agree on a constitution in December failed after a battle over voting rights in the EU, which was holding its first summit since welcoming 10 new members on May 1 to take its membership to 25. Poland and Spain notably held out against proposed changes that would have seen the generous voting powers they currently enjoy eroded. But after a change of heart by the middleweight nations and some bruising negotiations all round, the EU appeared to have found agreement on a new "double majority" voting system to avoid decision-making paralysis. The Irish had also suggested a slimmed-down European Commission and a redistribution of seats in the European Parliament, coupled with guarantees to smaller member states that they will not be steam-rollered by the big nations. Tempers were clearly tested in talks on the commission job. "This has not been an amicable discussion... There's a lot of serious bullying and arm-twisting going on," said one summit source. France and Germany are backing Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt to succeed Romano Prodi when his mandate ends in October. Roche said the EU leaders may well delay trying to reach agreement on who to appoint as Prodi's successor to guide the powerful EU executive for the next five years. "It may well be that the issue of the presidency will be left over for another day," he said. **PHOTO CAPTION*** European Commission President Romano Prodi (L) listens as French President Jacques Chirac (R) expresses a point during the EU Summit at the European Union headquarters in Brussels. (AFP)