EU states gird for battle over constitution

Big and small European Union nations squared off yesterday over the EU's new constitution, with the minnows demanding a comprehensive renegotiation of the text and major powers anxious to rubber-stamp the existing draft.

On the eve of the official opening of talks on the landmark treaty, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder warned a host of disgruntled smaller nations if they tried to unravel the draft constitution, the project could fail.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is hoping to crown Italy's six-month EU presidency by concluding talks by the end of the year, with as little change as possible to the draft drawn up by a Convention of EU lawmakers and delegates in June.

But seven states sent him a letter yesterday urging a debate on fundamental issues of power and leadership that could prolong discussions into 2004.

The constitution represents a thorough overhaul of EU institutions, preparing the 15-nation bloc for the arrival of 10 new members next May that will redesign the continent's boundaries and swell the EU's population to 450 million people.

It would get rid of the six-month rotating presidency which critics see as a source of inefficiency, and give the EU a longer-term president and a foreign minister to provide stronger leadership, continuity and focus.

Leaders of the 25 present and future member states gather on the outskirts of Rome today to kick off the talks, but the grand, ceremonial opening is likely to be overshadowed by seething discontent on both sides of the debate.

Backed by Germany and France, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini wants to impose a tight timetable for negotiations, insisting no country should submit an amendment to the constitution unless it has a consensus for an alternative.

"We cannot reopen Pandora's box. We cannot touch the institutional pillars of the draft text prepared by the Convention," Mr Frattini told Italian state radio yesterday.

Italy fears that if every country brings a shopping list of national interests to the table, the outcome will strangle the EU's decision-making processes rather than simplifying them.

In an interview in yesterday's Corriere della Sera newspaper, Chancellor Schroeder also warned that the draft should be respected.

"I'm deeply convinced that we shouldn't touch it, otherwise we would put at risk the success of the Intergovernmental Conference," he said, referring to the treaty negotiations.

But at least seven small nations, fearing a loss of influence, are determined to re-open core parts of the text.

Their letter challenged the proposed slimming down of the EU's executive Commission, the future presidency of the union and the carve-up of European Parliament seats.

"As the specific interests of member states may vary, the mandate of the conference must be defined in a manner that makes it possible for member states to raise all issues they consider important," the leaders of Malta, Lithuania, Hungary, Slovenia, Austria, the Czech Republic and Finland said in their letter.

A bigger headache for the Italian presidency comes from Spain and Poland, two dogged negotiators, who oppose plans to make voting on most EU policies simpler and more democratic.

"Spain poses a harsh, tough problem," said former Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato, who was vice-president of the Convention. "Traditionally Spain never gives up before winning concessions," he told Reuters.

Anti-globalisation protesters and trades' unions have promised a rowdy reception for the EU leaders, with at least 100,000 demonstrators expected at two different marches.

Security concerns have heightened following the discovery of three letter bombs at government and police offices on Thursday.

Only one of the devices went off and no-one was injured.

Police said unspecified anarchists were to blame.