EU 'closing in' on constitution deal

EU voting rights remains a “difficult issue” at Europe’s constitution talks, the Irish EU presidency has said.

Dublin is to come back with a new proposal on Friday morning after a “very positive” afternoon of negotiations.

“I am not over optimistic there are still very difficult issues,” said Irish leader Bertie Ahern.

“But certainly the whole atmosphere today was very positive.”

Ahern is tempering realism over political divisions with the EU’s resolution to avoid a repeat of last December’s collapse of constitution talks.

“There is a strong determination to do a deal,” he told journalists.

“Voting remains more difficult but I think we are getting there.”

The Irish leaders is juggling complex political trade offs on EU voting strengths with the need to make an enlarged Europe effective.

“We have to try and get a balance everyone can live with,” he said.

“We have to see what we can pull together.”

Thursday’s negotiations focused on two constitution texts – ‘open’, outstanding, and ‘closed’ issues.

Key institutional questions are dominating discussions – EU voting rights, the size of the commission and the minimum number of European Parliament seats.

Also to being battled out is “a basket of economic governance issues”, heralding a row over the future powers of Brussels to police national budget deficits under the euro’s stability rules.

“We have heard disagreements today but I don’t think they’re unbridgeable,” Ahern insisted.

Another tough talking point will be the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights and a complex legal annex spelling out its interpretation by national or European courts.

“There are different points of view - but I think we are closing in on an agreement. We have to put together a package which is acceptable to everyone,” Ahern said.

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