Talks on EU constitution resume tomorrow

Talks on a European constitution are back on the agenda tomorrow as the Irish EU presidency picks up the pieces of last month’s failed negotiations.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Brian Cowen will be chairing a meeting of his EU counterparts which marks the relaunch of the stalled efforts to streamline the EU to cope with expansion from 15 to 25 nations.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has already been consulting fellow EU leaders but has made no promises that the search for a constitution deal can be completed before Ireland’s term of office ends in July.

The Government will produce an official report on the progress of the negotiations at the European Council meeting on March 25 and 26.

Meanwhile Mr Cowen is using the first meeting of foreign ministers to test the water.

“There will be no papers and I do not intend to draw any conclusions. But it will be an important signal that the work continues: everyone realises that we ned to try to resolve this matter sooner rather than later,” he said.

Mr Ahern has made clear that everything remains up for discussion and that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

Few expect that a constitution deal will be done before Ireland hands over the EU presidency to the Netherlands on July 1.

But Poland, which took some of the blame for last month’s failure for holding out for more EU clout under the constitution, now says it could be a matter of weeks before a deal is done.

Foreign minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz said some had felt in December that the political and psychological damage was too great for a swift relaunch of the talks but the mood was changing.

“Today we believe that an agreement is possible in the coming weeks. There have been no miracles but the atmosphere between us has improved.”