Showdown looms for EU leaders over new treaty

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Showdown looms for EU leaders over new treaty
Thu Jun 21, 2007 7:30AM EDT

By Jeff Mason and Marcin Grajewski

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders headed for a
showdown on Thursday over efforts to overhaul the bloc's creaking
institutions, but chances of agreement appeared to be rising after
chief critic Poland softened its tone.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, attending his last EU summit, said
prospects for a deal to launch negotiations on a reform treaty were
"touch and go". Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski put the
odds at 50-50.

Objections by London and Warsaw could yet scupper German
Chancellor Angela Merkel's drive to replace the defunct EU
constitution after years of wrangling over the division of power
between Brussels and member states, and between big and small
nations.

Failure to agree at a summit likely to run into Saturday would be
a huge setback for the 27-nation bloc, two years after French
and Dutch voters rejected the constitution.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL2131676620070621

[papau]

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