Portugal verzet zich tegen heropening onderhandelingen EU-verdrag (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The incoming Portuguese EU presidency has called on member states not to unravel a carefully worked out compromise on a new look treaty for the bloc, amid signs that some capitals have reservations about what they agreed last weekend.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday (28 June), just two days before Portugal takes over from Germany at the EU's helm, the country's secretary of state for foreign affairs Manuel Lobo Antunes warned that the bloc "can't afford the luxury of a new failure," on the Reform Treaty.

EU leaders reached a political agreement on the treaty outline on 23 June. It now falls to Lisbon to moderate talks on its exact wording and translate the outline into a legal text.

An intergovernmental conference (IGC), the EU's only decision-making body that can agree on treaty changes, will be officially kicked off by EU foreign ministers on 23 July.

The idea is for legal experts to take up the drafting of the text following the July ministerial session, with special member states' representatives - sherpas - meeting when "political doubts" emerge and foreign ministers stepping in if they fail to move on.

Still, asked which particular issue from the agreed package he expects might be sought re-opened, Mr Antunes said, "none," adding "the mandate we have on the table is clear and unambiguous so I don't see why we should re-open any issues."

"That's why we wanted the detailed mandate to prevent the situation that the next day every member state will give its own interpretation of it. We can't accept that. We have a political compromise at the highest level and we should respect that."

"Our work has to follow the mandate and exclusively that mandate," he added.

Reacting to suggestions that Poland could once more raise doubts on the voting issue - its prime minister expressed dissatisfaction with a part of mandate on the voting system - the ambassador expressed confidence that this would not happen. He also stressed that although nobody expected a deal last week, one was achieved after all.

"No one was a hundred percent satisfied but we can all be at ease with the outcome" of the summit, said Mr Antunes.

Turkey

Portugal is pressing for a quick proceeding of the IGC with a possible final agreement in October.

French president Nicolas Sarkozy has previously suggested this final phase of the drafting could be accompanied by a debate about the ultimate borders of Europe.

Some of his close aides even suggested that a declaration on this topic agreed by EU leaders at December summit could then be presented to citizens in a package with the new treaty.

As part of such discussion, Paris is seeking to push for a change in the EU's negotiations mandate with Turkey and a possible re-orientation of its final goal from membership to a status of privileged partnership.

But for its part, Portugal will during its six-month term as the EU chief try to "put the talks with Turkey on track", said Mr Antunes, stressing "it is no secret that we think it is important that Turkey joins the EU once it fulfils all the criteria."

He added that while Paris has a "right" to raise the issue at the December summit, the EU should rather not tackle such a "complex" subject so soon after finalising a new treaty.

"We need to breathe a little bit, to rest a little bit, to gain on the progresses that we have made so far... As we say in Portugal, sometimes it's good to give time to time. And I think this is now the case for the European Union. Let's give time to time."