EU leaders far from accord on future shape of union
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European Union leaders seeking to reassure voters about plans to enlarge the bloc remained far from united on Friday about the future shape of the union, set to grow to 27 members when Bulgaria and Romania join on January 1.
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BRUSSELS, Mar 7 (IPS) - The European Commission and a grouping of   countries from Africa, the Caribbean and the  Pacific are no  nearer an agreement on trade liberalisation after their  latest  effort.
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European Union leaders headed for a showdown on Thursday over the latest bid to overhaul the bloc's creaking institutions, but chances of agreement may be rising after chief critic Poland softened its tone.
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European Union leaders were to resume debate Friday on a package of sorely-needed reforms after failing to bridge major differences overnight, with Britain and Poland notably resisting an agreement.
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel and  French President Nicolas Sarkozy sought on Friday to persuade  Poland to compromise over a new treaty to govern the European  Union but made little progress.
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European Union leaders headed for a  showdown on Thursday over efforts to overhaul the bloc&#39;s  creaking institutions, but chances of agreement appeared to be  rising after chief critic Poland softened its tone.
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Leaders of the European Union's 27 nations gathered for a crucial summit to discuss a new EU treaty Thursday, two years after French and Dutch voters rejected a draft EU constitution.
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European Union finance ministers wrestled with a proposal to overhaul an ineffective set of budget rules, but faced with lingering differences they postponed concrete action until January at the earliest.
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EU leaders meet in Brussels amid battles over a bid to create a European government with a permanent president and its own diplomatic corps.
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BUCHAREST, Feb 18 (IPS) - Leaders of Romania, one of the European Union (EU)  members not ready to recognise declaration of independence by  Kosovo, are having a hard time justifying their opposition to  birth of the new state.
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European leaders on Friday tried to revive efforts to adopt the proposed European Union constitution, which many declared dead last year after it was rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands.
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EU leaders will gather in Rome today to sign an historic new constitution, but the planned celebration of European unity has been transformed into a crisis meeting over the bloc&#39;s stalled executive.
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WARSAW (SwissInfo) - Poland's president threatened on Thursday to delay talks on a new European Union treaty at a summit where EU leaders hope to finalize the charter to reform the bloc's institutions. Agreement on the treaty would end a crisis of confidence sparked by Dutch and French voters' rejection of a European constitution in 2005 and open the way for a toned-down treaty that includes a foreign policy chief with more clout and a long-term EU president. The treaty also provides for a more democratic decision-making system and more say for the European and national parliaments but avoids mention of an EU anthem or flag.  Poland, which fought against changes to the voting system at a treaty summit in June, has recently voiced greater optimism that it would win a compromise on its demands, even though other states have said they will proceed without Poland if its often-cantankerous leaders continue to drag their feet. Some leaders have indicated that Poland may be asked to leave the EU if it cannot "play ball" in the future.
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The United States and the European  Union are unlikely to reach agreement on a new civil aircraft  pact, a European Union official said on Thursday, increasing  chances the two sides could fight out the issue at the World  Trade Organization.
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European leaders will seek to reassure sceptical voters at a summit starting on Thursday by toughening policy on enlargement of the European Union, without though slamming the door on a queue of aspiring ...Comment
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European Union leaders headed for a  showdown on Thursday over efforts to reform the bloc&#39;s creaking  institutions, but chances of agreement appeared to rise after  chief critic Poland softened its tone.
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European Union leaders are failing to deliver on economic reform promises made at the beginning of the decade,  a high level report warns.