EU Leaders Make Breakthrough in New Treaty Agreement

European Union leaders agreed Saturday on the core areas of a treaty aimed at strengthening the bloc's foreign policy role and eliminate unwieldy bureaucracy.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel praised the compromise with Poland over planned changes to voting rights, which were pivotal to the final agreement being made. British Prime Minister Tony Blair added that the EU could now concentrate on issues of real concern.

The treaty, which will be finalised later this year, is scheduled to come into force in mid-2009.

Merkel, the current EU president, said: "We are very, very satisfied with what we have been able to conclude."

Blair explained that the gruelling meeting had shown why the treaty was needed - saying that it was necessary to streamline EU mechanisms which were not designed for the increasing number of members states.

The new system of "double majority" is now planned to be implemented in stages from 2014 with a goal for them to be fully implemented three years later.

Under the new system, a 55% majority of EU countries with at least 65% of the bloc's population will be required for a change to be approved.