The Irish Presidency of the European Union starts its most challenging month on Monday as foreign ministers meet to thrash out the text of a constitution for the bloc, ahead of a summit of EU leaders on June 17
Published:
17 May 2004 y., Monday
Irish Premier Bertie Ahern has been touring EU capitals since early May to try to reach consensus on outstanding wrangles in the charter, seen as vital for the smooth running of the bloc which expanded on May 1 to 25 members from 15.
His trips appear to be paying off, with Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of Spain - with Poland one of two countries blamed for the collapse of talks on the charter last December - saying on Friday the bloc was close to agreement.
"We are close to what may be an understanding and global consensus in the whole Union," he said after meeting Ahern in Madrid.
The charter, drafted by a 105-member convention of lawmakers from across the bloc, failed to gain acceptance last year mainly because of disagreement over how voting powers should be divided between member states.
Šaltinis:
scandinavianews.com
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso was forced to withdraw his original line-up of Commission members after objections from MEPs
more »
Estonian President Arnold Ruutel said in Yerevan today that his country`s membership of the European Union `is creating fresh prerequisites for developing relations with Armenia`
more »
The 14th summit “European Union-Russia”, which was to be held in Moscow on November 11, was rescheduled for November 25
more »
Were Belarusians at the controls when Ivorian aircraft attacked a French base, killing 10?
more »
The hard-fought and highly controversial presidential race in Ukraine nears the finish line with the opposition candidate taking a tenuous lead
more »
Outlining the debate in the Czech Republic over the EU Constitution is straightforward: there is no debate
more »
Albania, Croatia, Macedonia to Boost Participation in NATO Operations
more »
Georgia told Russia on Saturday to keep out of its internal affairs, after Moscow vowed to defend its interests in Georgia’s separatist Abkhazia region
more »
Ukrainian-Russian summitry is opening November 12 to last into the next day
more »
Tension rocketing up between Israel and U.N. refugee agency
more »