Grondwetoverleg Berlijn-Warschau: "Compromis is mogelijk en noodzakelijk"

EUOBSERVER / WARSAW - Compromise on the EU Constitution is both necessary and possible, the Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller said today (23 March) at a news conference after talks with German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder in Warsaw.

For his part, Mr Schröder, said that both Germany and Poland will seek to finalise a deal over the EU Constitution in the first half of the year.

"I am very happy that we agree that the creation of the Constitution, which is already in full swing, should be finished during the Irish presidency", said the German Chancellor.

At the heart of their talks was a debate on a possible compromise on the key issue of voting weights.

Both countries were at loggerheads over the issue when an EU summit on the Constitution collapsed in December.

Until recently Poland had maintained a hardline stance on the issue wanting to keep the formula under the Nice Treaty - agreed in 2000.

However, Warsaw has started to make some conciliatary remarks indicating that an agreement can be reached soon on the vexed issue of vote weighting.

Their comments come after Irish prime minister and current head of the European Council Bertie Ahern indicated yesterday (22 March) that he would work towards a deal on the Constitution in June.