Netherlands keen to curb EU powers in new treaty

Dutch prime minister Jan-Peter Balkenende has set out his country's position on the new EU treaty, saying it should drop the word "constitution", give a bigger say to national parliaments, set clear limits to EU powers and more precise enlargement criteria.

"We must come up with a mutually acceptable solution that does justice to the concerns which emerged following the Dutch and French referenda," the Dutch leader said in the European Parliament on Wednesday (23 May), referring to the ...