Merkel sees 'tough nuts to crack' as EU leaders gather

Jun 21, 2007, 14:53 GMT

Germany\'s Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel (2-L) and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (C), whose country currently holds the European Union presidency, welcome Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek (L), Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg (R) and EU Minister Alexandr Vondra for a two days summit at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, 21 June 2007. EU leaders meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, aiming to agree a mandate to negotiate a treaty reforming the bloc\'s institutions, replacing the EU constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005. EPA/OLIVER WEIKEN

Brussels - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday warned of 'tough nuts to crack' as European Union leaders gathered Thursday to try and clinch agreement on a new treaty for the 27-nation bloc.

Merkel, who is chairing the EU talks, said the new treaty - replacing a draft constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005 - would not include state-like symbols to avoid public fears of a European super state.

The German EU presidency, however, aimed 'to save as much as possible of the substance of the original draft constitution,' she added.

Merkel noted that even if the summit - scheduled to end Friday but thought likely to run into Saturday - failed, 'Europe will not be incapable of action.'

'There are no longer a great number of problems, but the ones which are left are tough nuts to crack,' she said, mentioning Polish demands for a change to voting in the EU's decision-making Council of Ministers.

Ahead of the summit, Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski caused renewed controversy by saying that Poland would have had a current population of 66 million, rather than 40 million, if Nazi Germany had not laid the country waste in World War II.

'We are merely demanding what was taken from us,' he said in a radio interview that made clear Poland's resentment at the relative power enjoyed by its powerful western neighbour in the voting set-up.

Poland is being represented at the summit by his twin brother, President Lech Kaczynski, who has said he will not budge on demands to ensure that Poland's vote carries greater weight.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso urged leaders to compromise, saying an EU of 27 members could not function with rules appropriate to 12 members. 'If there is no solution, we are all losers,' he told journalists.

Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, a backer of the original draft, put the chances of success at the summit at 50-50.

'We will not agree to a treaty that lacks substance,' he said.

The summit has been preceded by tense exchanges between EU leaders over the contents of the new treaty, with Poland and Britain threatening to block agreement on a new treaty if their national interests are not taken into account.

Merkel has presented leaders with a draft text outlining key elements to be included in a new document which is now called a 'reform' or amended treaty rather than a constitution.

The treaty text makes no reference to EU symbols such as a European flag, anthem and 'Europe Day' to avoid giving the impression leaders are working to create a European super state.

Poland's demands for an overhaul of EU voting rights is opposed by 25 EU members, with only the Czech Republic voicing support.

Poland is opposed to the 'double majority' system agreed in 2004 which requires that EU decisions have the support of 55 per cent of member states, representing 65 per cent of the population.

Warsaw wants a system based on the square root of each country's population, which will give more say to medium-sized nations.

Britain is opposed to plans to appoint an EU foreign minister and to demands for a legally-binding charter of fundamental rights.

The Netherlands wants the new treaty to toughen EU membership criteria and is demanding greater powers for national parliaments.

German EU presidency sources say Merkel will allow Kaczynski to raise the voting rights issue at the summit.

But they warned the Polish demands will not be part of the inter- governmental conference expected to be launched in autumn to finalize details of the new treaty.

Accepting the Polish demands, they say, would trigger an unravelling of institutional arrangements, with other countries making similar calls for change.

A summit draft statement hammered out by Berlin makes some concessions to Britain, including eliminating a reference to an EU foreign minister and giving countries the right to opt out of deeper co-operation on home affairs issues.

The draft still includes plans to make the human-rights charter legally binding, although it will make clear that this will not mean interference in national legislative procedures.

Merkel aims for a deal that will allow a new treaty to be agreed under the Portuguese presidency in the second half of the year, allowing for ratification by all 27 members ahead of elections to the European Parliament in summer 2009.