European Union's Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and visiting Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi expressed here on Wednesday optimism over an agreement on the Reform Treaty at the forthcoming Lisbon EU summit.
"The fact that we now have a text in front of us is a major achievement. We are very close to a solution and I hope that member states will do their best not to disappoint European citizens," he told reporters at a joint press conference with Prodi.
Barroso urged all member states to stick to a recently hard-fought deal on the bloc's Reform Treaty.
"I am optimistic about the forthcoming summit and I am sure that the deal will be agreed by the heads of state and government meeting in Lisbon," said Prodi.
"Italy is very satisfied with the work of the experts lawyers," said Prodi, who is Barroso's predecessor leading EU's executive arm, the Commission.
Heads of government and state from the 27-member EU are expected to meet in Lisbon on Oct. 18-19 to discuss the treaty draft, which is aimed to improve the bloc's decision-making process.
The draft text was approved after marathon discussions in Berlin in June and EU officials hope that the Lisbon summit will be the final round of talks before its adoption later this year.
All member states except Poland have indicated their willingness to sign the Reform Treaty, a watered-down version of a constitutional treaty rejected in 2005 by French and Dutch voters.
Poland insisted that major changes must be made to the draft, demanding that member states would be granted the power to delay an EU decision if they believe it will adversely affect their vital national interests.
But Barroso ruled out the reopening of major negotiations in Lisbon next week, saying: "I think the (Lisbon) agreement should stick closely to the mandate that was negotiated (in Berlin)."
Source: Xinhua
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