Big three heading for talks on EU

British Prime Minister Tony Blair was today heading for summit talks in Berlin with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac - as the EU prepares to get to grips with a membership of 25.

The three most powerful leaders in the union have now met together twice before successive EU summits to see how much they can agree on before the main round of haggling begins.

Today's meeting precedes the Irish presidency's first European Council scheduled for March 25.

That will be the last in the series of rotating presidencies before the EU grows from 15 to 25 in May, thanks to the inclusion of largely former Eastern Bloc countries.

Mr Blair's official spokesman has denied that the gathering was designed to stitch up positions from the "big three" before the meeting in March, in preparation for enlargement, where most observers believe agreement will be even more difficult to achieve than before.

"It's a classic case of it's not `either, or'," the spokesman said, discussing the week ahead. "It's not a case of either trying to identify issues which they can discuss as three, or work together as 25.

"It's a question of shaping your approach so that where there are issues that can be thought through, and the beginnings of solutions identified by the three, you can do that, but equally knowing you have to work with other allies such as Spain, Italy or Poland and the smaller countries as well.

"It's nothing new. France, Germany and Poland held a meeting last week which nobody commented on apart from the three countries concerned."

Both Mr Blair's spokesman and a spokesman for the German government said today's summit was primarily about continuing the economic reform agenda first identified at the Lisbon summit.

Britain wants faster progress made towards liberating the last remaining state controlled markets in some countries such as energy and telecommunications, and demands looser regulation of industry in general and a bonfire of red tape.

"This summit is primarily about economic reform," said Mr Blair's spokesman.

A German government spokesman said: "Themes will be reforms of the social security system, the reform of the labour markets and policies to promote innovation in the three countries."

Mr Blair was taking with him to the meeting Work and Pensions Secretary Andrew Smith, Trade Secretary Patricia Hewitt, Health Secretary John Reid and Treasury Minister Dawn Primarolo.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw will join the leaders for dinner.

The premier had dinner with Mr Schroeder in Berlin only last Thursday and the quickening pace of talks between the three countries - despite an acrimonious recent history between Mr Blair and Mr Chirac - serves only to fuel the fears of the new accession countries that the EU dice are being loaded against them.

Mr Smith last night denied today's meeting was a "stitch-up" and said it was "perfectly normal" for countries to meet before European Councils to discuss issues of mutual interest.