Grondwet-besprekingen mislukt (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Talks on an EU Constitution have broken up with no agreement.

EU leaders meeting in Brussels have failed to bridge their differences over the controversial remaining issues on the table.

After several attempts to broker a new deal on the future balance of power in the EU, which has pitted Germany against Poland and Spain, EU leaders have conceded defeat.

A spokesperson for Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said that there is "no possibility of reaching agreement this afternoon".

Gianfranco Fini, Italian vice Prime Minister, said directly after the talks had collapsed that Italy had been coherent in opposing a "low level compromise". Such a solution would have been more damaging and so unacceptable for a founding member of the European Union as Italy is, he added.

The European Parliament's representative in the talks, Klaus Hänsch, said "the confidence of people in the fate of Europe has been damaged".

He added that those countries who are willing to shape the future of Europe based on the draft Constitution "should join together to see how they come out of this crisis".

Member states are currently working on a face-saving declaration.