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
Albania and the European Union today end their latest round of talks on the country’s efforts to join the EU and its preparations for 2005 parliamentary elections, the Ministry of European Integration said
more »
A European caretaker Commission may have to manage for a while if the team with Jose Manuel Barroso as president fails to win the European Parliament's approval
more »
Poland's interior minister said on Saturday he has suspended an agreement between a Polish and a Belarusian police academy because of recent police violence against protesters in Belarus
more »
Hungary, as the region's neighbor, is interested in Macedonia's stability and development, Hungarian Ambassador to Macedonia Ferenc Poka said Thursday at a press conference
more »
Demetrios Kristofias, president of the House of Representatives of Cyprus, is in Armenia on a two-day official visit
more »
Not on the job yet and already under attack: Jose Manuel Barroso
more »
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev told visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing on Thursday that his country stands ready to further strengthen cooperation with China
more »
Five caucuses of the pro-government parliamentary coalition left the Verkhovna Rada session on 19 October
more »
Democratic Moldova Bloc Representatives, Heads of Western Diplomatic Missions to Moldova Meet in Chisinau
more »
Legislative polls in Lithuania, electing its first parliament after joining the EU and NATO, have been carefully watched by Iraqi politicians
more »