EU constitution talks likely to sideline Brussels

EU member states are likely to deal with reviving the EU constitution alone, without involving "Brussels machinery", or else a solution will not be found in time for a 2009 deadline, according to Germany's ambassador to the EU, Wilhelm Schönfelder.

Mr Schönfelder said that Germany, which takes over the six-month EU presidency in January, will try and avoid involving the council, commission and parliament in Brussels to speed up negotiations on the constitution, currently in limbo after ...