EU:EU foreign ministers have edged closer to a deal on the EU reform treaty but several issues remain to be solved at this week's summit for EU leaders.
Portugal's European affairs minister Manuel Lobo Atunes said yesterday there was an excellent atmosphere at the talks in Luxembourg and he was more confident than before that a political deal to end years of negotiation on a new EU treaty could be found in Lisbon. But he identified several sticking points, including Polish demands that states have the right to delay European laws on which they are narrowly defeated in a vote and the right to a permanent advocate general at the European Court of Justice.
Warsaw is insisting that a delaying mechanism known as the "Ioannina compromise" is written directly into the treaty text. Diplomats have so far refused, saying it was never part of the agreement.
However, yesterday Polish foreign minister Anna Fotyga said an agreement was "very close".
"If we move just one more millimetre in Poland's direction, the issue will be solved," Luxembourg foreign minister Jean Asselborn said.
A deal on the treaty would reform how the union takes decisions at the council of ministers and create two powerful new posts: a President of the European Council and a High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. It would also bring to an end years of attempts by EU leaders to revise the Nice Treaty, which sets out the current rules for the union.
Other issues to be solved at the summit include Austrian demands that it retain its national quotas for medical school students.
Italy is also objecting to attempts to reform the distribution of seats at the European Parliament as part of the treaty revision. Under a formula agreed by MEPs, Italy would be allocated fewer seats than Britain and France for the first time.