EU-voorzitter Ierland legt laatste compromis-voorstellen voor Europese Grondwet op tafel (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The Irish EU Presidency is set today (16 June) to lay all its cards on the table by producing a paper on the sensitive question of EU institutions ahead of a crucial summit to wrap up the Constitution.

During the course of the day, Dublin is to publish two papers.

In one, the Irish Presidency is set to detail the institutional issues: the new system of voting in the council of ministers, the number of commissioners in a future commission and the minimum number of seats in the European Parliament.

On the controversial voting question, Dublin is to be more forthcoming than it has been to date.

55%-65%?

It is likely to propose a new system, under which a decision is taken when supported by 55% of member states representing 65% of the EU population.

Currently in the draft Constitution, the thresholds are set at 50% (of member states) and 60% (of population).

But this had been strongly opposed by some member states - particularly Poland and Spain - who fear that the big three (France, Germany and the UK) could easily block decisions they do not like.

There is also likely to be a restriction attached to this proposal - that at least four member states are required for a blocking minority.

The move to publish a paper on the institutions comes after reports in the German media that Berlin could accept the 55%-65% threshold.

Similarly, according to Spanish agency EFE, during an address to parliament Spanish prime minister José Rodriguez Zapatero also said that he would come back "with improvements in the European Parliament", hinting at a deal that could see Spain getting more seats in the European Parliament as compensation for reduced

voting weight in the Council.

18 commissioners

As for the size of the European Commission, the Irish Presidency is likely to stick to a previous proposal of reducing it to 18 commissioners - so each member state would lose the right to have a commissioner for one of every three commissions terms - from 2014.

The second paper will deal with the issues that have been discussed over the course of this year's treaty negotiations by foreign ministers but which the Irish Presidency now considers closed.

It is likely to contain the most recently discussed articles on justice and home affairs, the European public prosecutor, common commercial policy and common foreign and security policy.

Encouragement

In the traditional letter circulated to his colleagues on the eve of the summit, Irish prime minister and current head of the EU Bertie Ahern urged his colleagues to come to agreement on Thursday and Friday - the political deadline they set themselves in March.

"The time is now ripe to achieve a fair and balanced agreement, creating a Constitution which we can present to our people as making their Union more effective, more democratic and more transparent", says Mr Ahern's letter.

EU leaders will begin discussing the Constitution on Thursday afternoon in Brussels with the equally controversial issue of who should be the next Commission president to be discussed on Thursday evening over dinner.