EU leaders gather to put the brakes on enlargement

European Union leaders have converged on Brussels for a summit that will see them slow down the process of EU enlargement at least until they have a clearer vision of the blocีs future.

The leaders, meeting here on Thursday for two days, will confirm the partial suspension of membership talks with Turkey, whose rocky path toward Europeีs rich club has embodied the concerns and fears about the ability to take on new members.

Over their evening meal, the 25 heads of state and government will lay out their visions for enlargement after the bloc welcomes in Bulgaria and Romania as the 26 and 27th members on January 1.

าThe aim is to confirm a common understanding on the future of the enlargement process,ำ Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, hosting the summit as EU president, said in an invitation to his fellow leaders.

Before dinner, Vanhanen will present an analysis on the constitution, which was meant to help the EU run more smoothly as it grows, until it was rejected by French and Dutch voters in referendums last year.

Those votes, due in part to fears of าenlargement fatigueำ and the idea of a large, relatively poor and mainly Muslim country like Turkey joining, sent the Union spiralling into its worst ever crisis.

An EU official said that าthe level of ambition is weakำ at the moment on enlargement, as the member countries know that any concrete proposals could be put on the back burner until the EUีs าinstitutionalำ house is put in order.

In any case, the leaders are expected to concede that the impasse over the constitution must end before new members are considered beyond Bulgaria and Romania.