Lidstaten stemmen in met declaratie besprekingen Grondwet (en)

EUOBSERVER / ROME - Leaders from current and future EU member states today (4 October) agreed a common declaration on where talks should go on the draft EU Constitution. On the details however, they remained as far apart as ever.

The two-page document confirms that the draft Constitution drawn up Valéry Giscard's Convention is a "good basis".

The statement makes reference to European integration being the "Continent's essential calling as the instrument for a more efficacious international role for the Union".

It also says that the Treaty "represents a vital step in the process aimed at making Europe more cohesive, more transparent and democratic [and] more efficient and closer to its citizens.

But, the lofty ideals did little to hide the great differences between the states. During a gruelling tour de table where the leaders of each of the 27 countries spoke for four minutes, the same well-known positions were laid out again.

The calls ranged from Ireland wanting no change on the national veto on tax, to the Hungarians asking for minority rights to be included in the discussion, to the Spanish and the Poles asking for no changes to be made to the Nice Treaty (which gives them relatively good voting weights).

"The Nice Treaty accepted by all the states and peoples of the enlarged European Union is the binding law" said Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller.

The six founding members of the EU, Italy, Germany, France and the Benelux, remain largely happy with the Draft as it stands.

"The Italian goverment is firmly convinced that the more we distance ourselves from the agreement reached by the Convention, the harder it will be to find a new agreement", said Italian Deputy Premier Gianfranco Fini.

No added value at all

The Luxembourg Prime Minister, Jean-Claude Juncker, was the most forthright about the discussions, "they brought no added value at all", he said.

He deplored the points-gaining between governments and said that the IGC is "not a football game".

Insiders remarked afterwards that the atmosphere had been cordial but there was no move to compromise by any of the governments.

"But the gloves will come off this afternoon", remarked one diplomat referring to the fact that foreign ministers will discuss sensitive institutional issues such as the permanent president of the Council and the new foreign minister post.

Gerhard Schroeder, the German Chancellor, was practical about the talks and the timetable needed to get them done.

"Enlargement and the Constitution are two sides of the same coin" he said referring to the fact that leaders had agreed to finish talks in advance of the European elections in June 2004.

Silvio Berlusconi also conceded that the talks may run into the Irish Presidency of the EU - Ireland takes over from Italy at the beginning of 2004 - but said that this would not be a "failure".

The atmosphere of the talks between foreign ministers this afternoon is likely to give an indication of whether Mr Berlusconi will able to achieve his aim of wrapping up the talks by mid-December.