Delegates at the European Union summit are slated to determine who will act as the 27-member bloc's chief executive for the next five years.
Portuguese incumbent conservative Jose Manuel Barroso appears to be the only contender for the post, and he's already received conditional support from German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. EU leaders are also set to approve tighter rules for supervising the banking industry, including the creation of three pan-European watchdogs and a European Systemic Risk Board that would monitor risks EU advances aid for developing nations ...
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Revisiting Lisbon Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Merkel has put in a word for Barroso Leaders will re-examine the Lisbon Treaty at the summit, and it's expected that delegates will agree on a number of legal guarantees to persuade Irish voters to back the treaty, despite the clear 'no' vote from the Irish constituency last year. Ireland is preparing to hold another referendum on the treaty later this year.
European Minister Stefan Fuele, who directs the negotiations for the Czech EU presidency, is hoping for an agreement in Brussels.
"The guarantees need to be robust enough to dispel all the concerns the Irish citizens expressed in the referendum," he said.
Earlier this week, Irish Foreign Minister Michael Martin said he was confident that Ireland's wishes would be respected. The government wants commitments on issues such as abortion, taxation, and Ireland's military neutrality.
Climate change Europe is also preparing for the UN climate conference in Copenhagen at the end of the year, but sceptics fear that climate concerns will take a backseat in the midst of an economic crisis. There are also concerns that the EU could remain divided on how to tackle climate change, diminishing its influence in Copenhagen.
Delegates at the summit in Brussels will also discuss illegal immigration and the prospect of another gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine.
ca/AFP/dpa/Reuters
Editor: Kate Bowen
(Deutsche Welle)
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