European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin agreed Monday in Brussels that the EU should admit no additional members until its unresolved institutional problems are addressed.
Barroso noted that Romania and Bulgaria were exceptions, with the Commission expected to formally clear both countries on Tuesday for membership in 2007. He expressed hope that Croatia, currently in accession talks, could join "as soon as possible."
The EU's institutional deadlock stems from the rejection of a draft constitution in 2005 by voters in France and the Netherlands. Villepin stressed that enlargement must not weaken the bloc's ability to function effectively.
Villepin also distanced himself from a proposal backed by French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, who had argued during his own Brussels visit earlier in September that a scaled-down "mini-treaty" could preserve the core of the failed constitution. Villepin said such a mini-treaty was not a top priority.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in September 2006, in its own words.