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European summit ends in failure

Berlusconi offered four possible solutions to Spain and Poland

European Union leaders have failed to reach agreement on a constitution at a crucial summit in Brussels.
The talks were deadlocked by Poland and Spain's refusal to surrender voting rights secured at a summit in Nice three years ago.

The Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, said there was "total disagreement" on voting powers.

The EU expands from 15 to 25 states next year, and agreement at these talks was seen as vital.

The BBC's William Horsley in Brussels says this looks like a disaster for the EU and the future is now uncertain.

The leaders are now preparing to leave Brussels after two days of sometimes bitter exchanges.

It is better to give it some time for countries to have time to find an accord

Tony Blair
UK prime minister

Reaction in quotes
Speaking to reporters after the summit broke up, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair backed the decision to abandon the talks, saying the bloc should take time to find the "right agreement".

Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson said talks on the constitution were unlikely to resume until 2005.

He said the EU would ask Ireland, which takes over the presidency in January, to hold talks to suggest a way forward.

Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said there would not be any further talks on the matter until March.

Our correspondent quotes one official as saying that France forced the breakdown of talks by refusing to consider any compromise on the voting issue.

He adds that France and Germany are expected to make a joint statement about the future of the talks on the constitution - and the future of the European Union itself.

The Nice agreement on EU expansion gave Spain and Poland - one of the new members - almost as many votes each as Germany, despite them having smaller populations.

Warsaw and Madrid say the subsequent constitution proposals significantly diminish their power, and are unacceptable.

CONTENTIOUS ISSUES
Voting powers
Number of commissioners
Christian heritage

National vetoes on foreign, defence and taxation policy
Extent of European Parliament's influence on EU budget

Voting row explained
Saturday saw Mr Berlusconi - as host of the talks during Italy's tenure of the EU presidency - present four alternative proposals to Spain and Poland in an attempt to break the deadlock.

But Polish Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz signalled his country's refusal to give ground on the voting rights issue.

"If it's not possible to agree, we shall wait. We're talking about compromise or domination," he said.

'Double majority'

All 25 leaders must approve the proposed constitution. However, an agreement is not needed in order for the enlargement to go ahead.

The constitution, drafted over 17 months by a special convention, introduces a "double majority" system of voting.

It means a vote is passed when it has the support of 50% of countries, representing 60% of the EU's population.

Medium-sized countries like Poland and Spain say the system favours big states - like Britain, France and Germany - and the very smallest nations.

Regardless of any agreement that might have been reached this weekend, the voting rules under the existing Nice treaty continue to apply until November 2009.