Tough talks on EU future - Beckett - News in brief

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As EU foreign ministers prepared to gather in Luxembourg ahead of this week's crucial leaders' summit in Berlin, Mrs Beckett said that it was unclear what shape any deal would take.

She acknowledged that some countries were still hoping to revive the EU constitution rejected two years ago by voters in France and the Netherlands - something Britain is determined to resist.

"One of the things that is slightly nerve-wracking to be honest, is that it is still far from clear what proposals the German presidency feels able to put," she told BBC1's Sunday AM programme.

"It is also clear that there are really quite strong differences of view still between different member states."

Mrs Beckett reaffirmed that Britain was still looking for an "amending" treaty that would streamline EU decision-making procedures following its expansion to 27 member states.

"We do not want to see a constitutional treaty or a treaty that has the characteristics of a constitution," she said.

"We will look at anything that will, if you like, tidy up the rule book of the European Union now that we are 27 and not 12 or 15."

Mrs Beckett said that Britain was supported by new French President Nicholas Sarkozy.

"On the issue of the constitutional treaty, President Sarkozy has made it plain that the people of France have rejected the treaty that was put forward and any treaty that was to be put forward now has to be very different from the one that was there before," she said.