EU summit to keep enlargement promise

EU leaders are expected to honour enlargement pledges despite calls for a re-think after the European constitution impasse.

Draft conclusions of the Brussels summit welcome Romania and Bulgaria's signature of the EU treaty.

While Ankara is not specifically mentioned, the text reconfirms last December's pledge to open Turkish membership talks on October 3.

But Angela Merkel, the opposition front runner in Germany's planned September general election, referred to plans to start the entry talks with Turkey as "irresponsible foreign policy which we won't go along with".

Jean-Claude Juncker, Luxembourg's prime minister and holder of the EU presidency was more upbeat, reiterating commitments to stick to the agreed plans.

"Most of our colleagues...expressed the view that the commitments the EU has taken over the last period... have to be fully taken into account and have to be respected."

If talks with Turkey do begin as planned, they are expected to last at least ten years.

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