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A summit that was meant to forge a new constitution for an expanding European Union has collapsed after leaders failed to reach a compromise over the controversial issue of voting powers.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who chaired the Brussels summit which ended on Saturday, tried to put a positive light on the failed talks. "Many agreements on constitutional reform to allow the smooth functioning of the EU after enlargement had been sealed," he said. "But more time was needed to bridge the differences on EU voting powers."
European Commission president Romano Prodi was similarly upbeat: "We will work together again for the relaunch of this project for a constitution. What I have in my hand is a good project. It is something that everyone will come to understand. Trust me."
The job of negotiating a compromise will now fall to Ireland which takes over the presidency next month. Prime Minister Bertie Ahern will be under pressure to find a solution by the time of the next EU summit in March.
"What we must do now is take the good work by the Italian presidency and hold...the good compromises they reached and the outstanding issues they identified, and try to move on," Aherne said. "Over the next three months, we will do that to the best of our ability."
Failure to reach an agreement could mean gridlock for the EU decision-making process when the bloc expands to 25 members in May.
(Source: EuroNews.net)
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