Ierse premier ziet 20 knelpunten bij onderhandelingen over nieuwe Grondwet (en)

Irish Prime Minister and current head of the EU Presidency, Bertie Ahern, has warned that there are 20 issues still to be resolved in the EU Constitution.

Speaking before the Irish Parliament, Mr Ahern said, according to the Irish Times, that while the media had decided there were just two outstanding issues, there were in fact about 20.

"What we must now try to do is to narrow the list because whoever, whether me or someone else, has to have an IGC [intergovernmental conference] with over 20 issues on the agenda would never get agreement", he said on Tuesday (4 February).

Mr Ahern listed some of the open issues as being the new voting system (as the biggest one), whether to have one commissioner per country, the overall number of MEPs, the ending of national vetoes in some areas and aspects of justice and home affairs.

The Irish Prime Minister said he would be able to provide a full report on 17 March - a week before EU leaders gather in Brussels for a summit to discuss - amongst other things - how to proceed with the Constitution.

Talks failed on the treaty blueprint in December when the 25 current and future EU member states were unable to reconcile their differences over a new voting system.

The disagreement pitted Germany - in favour of the new system - against Poland and Spain - implacably opposed.