Duitsland, Frankrijk en Engeland vormen exclusieve kopgroep in EU (en)

Germany, France and the UK are planning to have regular meetings to strengthen their common position at the European level.

According to a German government spokesperson, the leaders of the three largest member states will meet before the EU Summit in March to assess how to proceed with the failed EU Constitution talks.

"The three countries would like first ideas to be presented under the Irish presidency in March on how the discussion on the constitutional process can be followed up this year," the spokesman said on Monday (5 January).

"The goal, the desire of the German government, is that we have a result by the end of 2004 under the Dutch presidency and that we have a constitution."

He said the date and place of the meeting was yet to be confirmed.

It was agreed to have these meetings, which are set to become a regular feature, last autumn at a meeting in Berlin; French President Jacques Chirac, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder met again in the margins of the Summit on 12-13 December.

Ireland, which took over the EU Presidency on 1 January, has the task of trying to kickstart the Constitution talks which collapsed in acrimony last month over a proposed new voting system.

It has already said that will look behind the scenes to see if there is any sign of movement on the part of member states; Dublin will then put forward an assessment of the situation to all EU leaders at the March Summit.

However, Germany's Chancellor has already upped the stakes.

In an interview with German news magazine Der Spiegel, Mr Schröder said that if a deal on the Constitution is not reached by the end of 2004, his country would have to consider taking part in a core group of EU nations.