President Tsjechië: Duitsland realistischer over EU-Grondwet (en)

Czech president Vaclav Klaus has praised the German EU presidency for having a new attitude for dealing with the disputed EU constitution, shifting from pressure on deadlines to a debate about content, with Berlin issuing a hit list of 12 controversial treaty elements to clarify national positions.

Speaking to Czech journalists after a three-hour discussion with chancellor Angela Merkel and German ex-president Roman Herzog at Mesenberg castle near Berlin on Tuesday (17 April), Mr Klaus said Germany has understood that there will be no breakthrough over the EU charter during its six-month term at the bloc's chair.

"There's a qualitative shift going on," Mr Klaus said according to CTK agency, adding that Germany seems to realise that substantive changes in the functioning of the EU are more important than a timetable for solving the constitutional impasse.

The question marks over the future fate of the EU constitution arose after French and Dutch citizens rejected the draft charter in 2005 referendums, even though 18 EU member states have largely ratified the document.

At the launch of its EU presidency, Berlin pledged it would prepare a detailed timetable by June outlining steps needed for a revised treaty to be in place by 2009, ahead of the next elections to the European Parliament.

Prior to individual consultations with member states about their views on the way forward, Germany has prepared a 12-point checklist of controversial treaty items for which it is seeking clarification of national positions, according to Polish daily Rzeczpospolita.

The list includes the name of the treaty, EU symbols like the hymn and flag, voting rights and the proposal to create an EU foreign minister, with some countries, like the UK, the Netherlands and Czech Republic calling for all state-like elements to be dropped.

Prague and London also object to the Charter of Fundamental Rights being directly included in the new treaty. The Czech Republic is against the idea of a common "EU foreign minister" as well, while Poland would like to see voting system proposed in the EU constitution changed.

Meanwhile, the countries that have already ratified the treaty are pushing for adoption of the document with the least amendments possible.

Jean Asselborn and Miguel Angel Moratinos, the foreign ministers of Luxembourg and Spain - the only two EU member states that ratified the constitution by referendum - have challenged UK leader Tony Blair's recent comments that the EU constitution should be dropped in favour a slim text on institutional reform.

"[We] would like a Europe that includes the United Kingdom but if this is not possible then the responsibility lies with the British," the pair said in a common declaration on Tuesday, Spanish media report.