BRUSSELS, Belgium (CNN) --A standoff between Germany and Poland threatens to engulf a crucial summit in Brussels as European Union leaders prepare to battle it out over a controversial constitution.
With the EU expanding from 15 nations to 25 next year, leaders of current and future members began final negotiations Friday on a constitution aimed at streamlining the bloc's decision-making process.
But leaders say disagreements over issues such as voting rights, taxation and foreign policy could deadlock the weekend summit, making approval of the union's first constitution far from certain.
All 25 nations must ratify the constitution for it to take effect, and leaders have warned they are willing to walk away rather than give the thumbs up to the constitution as it stands.
Leaders of Britain, France and Germany -- the big three EU powers -- held breakfast meetings Friday to try to break the deadlock.
On Thursday, they put forward plans to end a separate dispute with the United States and NATO over an EU defense initiative.
Rather than create an EU defense headquarters separate from NATO, as announced in April, EU leaders on Friday approved plans to set up an EU defense planning cell at NATO's military headquarters. NATO liaison officers will be placed at the EU.
NATO Secretary-General George Robertson welcomed the agreement, saying, "This will be a good deal for the EU and for NATO." (Full story)
But the issue threatening the summit's success is the voting strength of each member state in an enlarged EU.
Germany -- with a population of more than 80 million -- wants to make sure it has sufficient clout in the 25-member union and wants changes to the voting system.
Berlin says a deal fixed three years ago at summit in Nice gave new countries like Spain and Poland too many votes.
Poland and Spain were allowed 27 votes each, compared with Germany's 29 votes, even though Poland and Spain each have populations of around 40 million.
Spain and Poland are refusing to agree to changes in the voting system. Poland joins the bloc in May.
Former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing led efforts to draft the constitution.
Warsaw wants to assert itself and show that it will be a big player -- an indication the summit could turn into a showdown between Poland and Germany, according to CNN European Political Editor Robin Oakley.
"There's a lot of breast thumping as leaders take up their negotiation positions, and certainly Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder have indicated that this summit could turn into a real standoff," Oakley reported from Brussels.
Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, who will chair the summit, has said it "will take a miracle to sort out," Oakley added.
The constitution, in the works for a year, seeks to strengthen cooperation on defense, foreign policy, immigration and other issues in an effort to give the EU a political voice to match its economic clout. (Key issues)
With 10 new members coming into the fold May 1, the union will have a total population of 450 million and a greater gross domestic product (GDP) than the United States.
Another area of dispute is whether the constitution should include a reference to Europe's Christian heritage.
France is against the proposal, arguing that it conflicts with the country's secular tradition, but other countries and the Vatican want at least a reference to God, The Associated Press reported.
"It is indispensable that today's Europe safeguard its patrimony of values and recognize that the force able to promote, encourage and consolidate them is above all Christianity," Pope John Paul II said Thursday.
BRUSSELS, Belgium (CNN) --A standoff between Germany and Poland threatens to engulf a crucial summit in Brussels as European Union leaders prepare to battle it out over a controversial constitution.
With the EU expanding from 15 nations to 25 next year, leaders of current and future members began final negotiations Friday on a constitution aimed at streamlining the bloc's decision-making process.
But leaders say disagreements over issues such as voting rights, taxation and foreign policy could deadlock the weekend summit, making approval of the union's first constitution far from certain.
All 25 nations must ratify the constitution for it to take effect, and leaders have warned they are willing to walk away rather than give the thumbs up to the constitution as it stands.
Leaders of Britain, France and Germany -- the big three EU powers -- held breakfast meetings Friday to try to break the deadlock.
On Thursday, they put forward plans to end a separate dispute with the United States and NATO over an EU defense initiative.
Rather than create an EU defense headquarters separate from NATO, as announced in April, EU leaders on Friday approved plans to set up an EU defense planning cell at NATO's military headquarters. NATO liaison officers will be placed at the EU.
NATO Secretary-General George Robertson welcomed the agreement, saying, "This will be a good deal for the EU and for NATO." (Full story)
But the issue threatening the summit's success is the voting strength of each member state in an enlarged EU.
Germany -- with a population of more than 80 million -- wants to make sure it has sufficient clout in the 25-member union and wants changes to the voting system.
Berlin says a deal fixed three years ago at summit in Nice gave new countries like Spain and Poland too many votes.
Poland and Spain were allowed 27 votes each, compared with Germany's 29 votes, even though Poland and Spain each have populations of around 40 million.
Spain and Poland are refusing to agree to changes in the voting system. Poland joins the bloc in May.
Former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing led efforts to draft the constitution.
Warsaw wants to assert itself and show that it will be a big player -- an indication the summit could turn into a showdown between Poland and Germany, according to CNN European Political Editor Robin Oakley.
"There's a lot of breast thumping as leaders take up their negotiation positions, and certainly Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder have indicated that this summit could turn into a real standoff," Oakley reported from Brussels.
Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, who will chair the summit, has said it "will take a miracle to sort out," Oakley added.
The constitution, in the works for a year, seeks to strengthen cooperation on defense, foreign policy, immigration and other issues in an effort to give the EU a political voice to match its economic clout. (Key issues)
With 10 new members coming into the fold May 1, the union will have a total population of 450 million and a greater gross domestic product (GDP) than the United States.
Another area of dispute is whether the constitution should include a reference to Europe's Christian heritage.
France is against the proposal, arguing that it conflicts with the country's secular tradition, but other countries and the Vatican want at least a reference to God, The Associated Press reported.
"It is indispensable that today's Europe safeguard its patrimony of values and recognize that the force able to promote, encourage and consolidate them is above all Christianity," Pope John Paul II said Thursday.
BRUSSELS, Belgium (CNN) --A standoff between Germany and Poland threatens to engulf a crucial summit in Brussels as European Union leaders prepare to battle it out over a controversial constitution.
With the EU expanding from 15 nations to 25 next year, leaders of current and future members began final negotiations Friday on a constitution aimed at streamlining the bloc's decision-making process.
But leaders say disagreements over issues such as voting rights, taxation and foreign policy could deadlock the weekend summit, making approval of the union's first constitution far from certain.
All 25 nations must ratify the constitution for it to take effect, and leaders have warned they are willing to walk away rather than give the thumbs up to the constitution as it stands.
Leaders of Britain, France and Germany -- the big three EU powers -- held breakfast meetings Friday to try to break the deadlock.
On Thursday, they put forward plans to end a separate dispute with the United States and NATO over an EU defense initiative.
Rather than create an EU defense headquarters separate from NATO, as announced in April, EU leaders on Friday approved plans to set up an EU defense planning cell at NATO's military headquarters. NATO liaison officers will be placed at the EU.
NATO Secretary-General George Robertson welcomed the agreement, saying, "This will be a good deal for the EU and for NATO." (Full story)
But the issue threatening the summit's success is the voting strength of each member state in an enlarged EU.
Germany -- with a population of more than 80 million -- wants to make sure it has sufficient clout in the 25-member union and wants changes to the voting system.
Berlin says a deal fixed three years ago at summit in Nice gave new countries like Spain and Poland too many votes.
Poland and Spain were allowed 27 votes each, compared with Germany's 29 votes, even though Poland and Spain each have populations of around 40 million.
Spain and Poland are refusing to agree to changes in the voting system. Poland joins the bloc in May.
Former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing led efforts to draft the constitution.
Warsaw wants to assert itself and show that it will be a big player -- an indication the summit could turn into a showdown between Poland and Germany, according to CNN European Political Editor Robin Oakley.
"There's a lot of breast thumping as leaders take up their negotiation positions, and certainly Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder have indicated that this summit could turn into a real standoff," Oakley reported from Brussels.
Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, who will chair the summit, has said it "will take a miracle to sort out," Oakley added.
The constitution, in the works for a year, seeks to strengthen cooperation on defense, foreign policy, immigration and other issues in an effort to give the EU a political voice to match its economic clout. (Key issues)
With 10 new members coming into the fold May 1, the union will have a total population of 450 million and a greater gross domestic product (GDP) than the United States.
Another area of dispute is whether the constitution should include a reference to Europe's Christian heritage.
France is against the proposal, arguing that it conflicts with the country's secular tradition, but other countries and the Vatican want at least a reference to God, The Associated Press reported.
"It is indispensable that today's Europe safeguard its patrimony of values and recognize that the force able to promote, encourage and consolidate them is above all Christianity," Pope John Paul II said Thursday.
BRUSSELS, Belgium (CNN) --A standoff between Germany and Poland threatens to engulf a crucial summit in Brussels as European Union leaders prepare to battle it out over a controversial constitution.
With the EU expanding from 15 nations to 25 next year, leaders of current and future members began final negotiations Friday on a constitution aimed at streamlining the bloc's decision-making process.
But leaders say disagreements over issues such as voting rights, taxation and foreign policy could deadlock the weekend summit, making approval of the union's first constitution far from certain.
All 25 nations must ratify the constitution for it to take effect, and leaders have warned they are willing to walk away rather than give the thumbs up to the constitution as it stands.
Leaders of Britain, France and Germany -- the big three EU powers -- held breakfast meetings Friday to try to break the deadlock.
On Thursday, they put forward plans to end a separate dispute with the United States and NATO over an EU defense initiative.
Rather than create an EU defense headquarters separate from NATO, as announced in April, EU leaders on Friday approved plans to set up an EU defense planning cell at NATO's military headquarters. NATO liaison officers will be placed at the EU.
NATO Secretary-General George Robertson welcomed the agreement, saying, "This will be a good deal for the EU and for NATO." (Full story)
But the issue threatening the summit's success is the voting strength of each member state in an enlarged EU.
Germany -- with a population of more than 80 million -- wants to make sure it has sufficient clout in the 25-member union and wants changes to the voting system.
Berlin says a deal fixed three years ago at summit in Nice gave new countries like Spain and Poland too many votes.
Poland and Spain were allowed 27 votes each, compared with Germany's 29 votes, even though Poland and Spain each have populations of around 40 million.
Spain and Poland are refusing to agree to changes in the voting system. Poland joins the bloc in May.
Former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing led efforts to draft the constitution.
Warsaw wants to assert itself and show that it will be a big player -- an indication the summit could turn into a showdown between Poland and Germany, according to CNN European Political Editor Robin Oakley.
"There's a lot of breast thumping as leaders take up their negotiation positions, and certainly Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder have indicated that this summit could turn into a real standoff," Oakley reported from Brussels.
Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, who will chair the summit, has said it "will take a miracle to sort out," Oakley added.
The constitution, in the works for a year, seeks to strengthen cooperation on defense, foreign policy, immigration and other issues in an effort to give the EU a political voice to match its economic clout. (Key issues)
With 10 new members coming into the fold May 1, the union will have a total population of 450 million and a greater gross domestic product (GDP) than the United States.
Another area of dispute is whether the constitution should include a reference to Europe's Christian heritage.
France is against the proposal, arguing that it conflicts with the country's secular tradition, but other countries and the Vatican want at least a reference to God, The Associated Press reported.
"It is indispensable that today's Europe safeguard its patrimony of values and recognize that the force able to promote, encourage and consolidate them is above all Christianity," Pope John Paul II said Thursday.
BRUSSELS, Belgium (CNN) --A standoff between Germany and Poland threatens to engulf a crucial summit in Brussels as European Union leaders prepare to battle it out over a controversial constitution.
With the EU expanding from 15 nations to 25 next year, leaders of current and future members began final negotiations Friday on a constitution aimed at streamlining the bloc's decision-making process.
But leaders say disagreements over issues such as voting rights, taxation and foreign policy could deadlock the weekend summit, making approval of the union's first constitution far from certain.
All 25 nations must ratify the constitution for it to take effect, and leaders have warned they are willing to walk away rather than give the thumbs up to the constitution as it stands.
Leaders of Britain, France and Germany -- the big three EU powers -- held breakfast meetings Friday to try to break the deadlock.
On Thursday, they put forward plans to end a separate dispute with the United States and NATO over an EU defense initiative.
Rather than create an EU defense headquarters separate from NATO, as announced in April, EU leaders on Friday approved plans to set up an EU defense planning cell at NATO's military headquarters. NATO liaison officers will be placed at the EU.
NATO Secretary-General George Robertson welcomed the agreement, saying, "This will be a good deal for the EU and for NATO." (Full story)
But the issue threatening the summit's success is the voting strength of each member state in an enlarged EU.
Germany -- with a population of more than 80 million -- wants to make sure it has sufficient clout in the 25-member union and wants changes to the voting system.
Berlin says a deal fixed three years ago at summit in Nice gave new countries like Spain and Poland too many votes.
Poland and Spain were allowed 27 votes each, compared with Germany's 29 votes, even though Poland and Spain each have populations of around 40 million.
Spain and Poland are refusing to agree to changes in the voting system. Poland joins the bloc in May.
Former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing led efforts to draft the constitution.
Warsaw wants to assert itself and show that it will be a big player -- an indication the summit could turn into a showdown between Poland and Germany, according to CNN European Political Editor Robin Oakley.
"There's a lot of breast thumping as leaders take up their negotiation positions, and certainly Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder have indicated that this summit could turn into a real standoff," Oakley reported from Brussels.
Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, who will chair the summit, has said it "will take a miracle to sort out," Oakley added.
The constitution, in the works for a year, seeks to strengthen cooperation on defense, foreign policy, immigration and other issues in an effort to give the EU a political voice to match its economic clout. (Key issues)
With 10 new members coming into the fold May 1, the union will have a total population of 450 million and a greater gross domestic product (GDP) than the United States.
Another area of dispute is whether the constitution should include a reference to Europe's Christian heritage.
France is against the proposal, arguing that it conflicts with the country's secular tradition, but other countries and the Vatican want at least a reference to God, The Associated Press reported.
"It is indispensable that today's Europe safeguard its patrimony of values and recognize that the force able to promote, encourage and consolidate them is above all Christianity," Pope John Paul II said Thursday.
