Stalled talks on a first constitution for the enlarged European Union resumed

Stalled talks on a first constitution for the enlarged European Union resumed as Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern prepared to tour EU capitals in the search of an elusive compromise. Senior officials from the 25 member states met in Dublin on Tuesday to discuss legal texts put forward the EU's Irish presidency on secondary issues where outline agreement was reached late last year before the negotiations collapsed at an acrimonious summit. Participants said the mood was constructive but contentious issues would only be broached when foreign ministers take up the negotiations in Brussels on May 17. Ahern plans to sound out every EU leader in the next month before a crucial summit on June 17-18 which is due to finalise a new rulebook for the expanded bloc. Last year's effort foundered over differences on member states' voting powers, with Spain and Poland resisting pressure from other states, led by Germany and France, to switch to a decision-making system giving more weight to population size.