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EU finds consensus on expansion EU hardens tone on enlargement
(about 3 hours later)
European Union leaders meeting in Brussels have reached a new consensus on the terms for accepting new members. European Union leaders have said that countries wanting to join will have to meet strict conditions from now on, but that the EU's doors are still open.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said applicants had to meet strict conditions, and the process depended on reform of EU institutions. Correspondents say the result of the end-of-year summit in Brussels is a subtle hardening of tone towards countries in the membership queue.
Correspondents say this signals that countries wanting to join the bloc will face a tougher examination than ever. The leaders called for reports on the impact of new members on EU policies.
However EU leaders have said there are no new criteria for membership and that the EU's doors are open. They also said the EU's capacity to absorb new countries would determine the pace of enlargement.
They also agreed that the EU must do more to fight crime - but failed to agree on the "institutional framework" for co-operation in this area. At the same time, the summit resisted calls for any new hurdles to be placed in the path of would-be members.
Some countries wanted to drop the national veto on police and judicial co-operation and switch to majority voting, but the UK and some other states successfully opposed the move. The leaders also:
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  • Confirmed a slow-down in talks on Turkey's membership of the EU
  • Agreed that EU states must work together on fighting crime - but disagreed on whether to lift the national veto on questions of police and judicial co-operation
  • Endorsed plans to increase sea patrols for the purpose of turning back African migrants
  • Accused Iran and Syria of destabilising the Middle East
  • Expressed deep concern about the deteriorating situation in Darfur
  • Endorsed a five-point Middle-East peace initiative
The summit also:
  • Confirmed a slow-down in talks on Turkey's membership of the EU
  • Endorsed plans to increase sea patrols for the purpose of turning back African migrants
  • Accused Iran of destabilising the Middle East and condemned it for questioning the Nazi Holocaust
  • Expressed deep concern about the deteriorating situation in Darfur
  • Endorsed a five-point Middle-East peace initiative
Treaty reformTreaty reform
"Past enlargements have been successful. Today we mapped out the best ways to ensure that future enlargements will also be successful," said Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, who chaired the summit.
The leaders have in effect agreed to make it more difficult for countries to join in the future BBC Europe editor, Mark Mardell Analysis: Calm before stormThe leaders have in effect agreed to make it more difficult for countries to join in the future BBC Europe editor, Mark Mardell Analysis: Calm before storm
"It is important that the candidate countries meet the requirements and that the union is able to function effectively and to develop." But Mr Barroso suggested that part of the consensus that had emerged on enlargement was that admitting further new members would be dependent on reform of the EU institutions.
The summit's final statement was not expected to say explicitly that further enlargement - after Bulgaria and Romania join on 1 January - is conditional on reform of EU institutions. However, the UK made clear its rejection of any "automatic" link between institutional reform and the enlargement process.
However, Mr Barroso said institutional reform formed part of the consensus on enlargement - along with strict conditions for new members and better communication to convince citizens of its importance. The summit conclusions, in their final form, said: "To sustain the integration capacity of the EU the acceding countries must be ready and able to fully assume the obligations of Union membership and the Union must be able to function effectively and to develop."
Mr Vanhanen said earlier that the leaders had agreed that EU treaties needed to be reformed, and that they could not "throw out the entire text" of the ill-fated European constitution.Mr Vanhanen said earlier that the leaders had agreed that EU treaties needed to be reformed, and that they could not "throw out the entire text" of the ill-fated European constitution.
BBC Europe editor Mark Mardell says the summit has set the stage for blazing rows in the future about both enlargement and the constitution.
Migration strategyMigration strategy
HAVE YOUR SAY Expansion needs to stop for a simple reason: it has no purpose at this point Anon, Sofia Send us your views Mr Barroso said the summit had agreed on the importance of a "comprehensive approach to global migration policy". HAVE YOUR SAY Expansion needs to stop for a simple reason: it has no purpose at this point Anon, Sofia Send us your views German Chancellor Angela Merkel said her government would focus on ways to resolve the constitution stalemate during its EU presidency starting on 1 January.
This would be one of the main topics at an EU-Africa summit to be held in Lisbon in the second half of 2007, he said. And Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said he would host a "friends of the constitution" conference in Madrid next month.
In addition to endorsing extra sea patrols to locate migrants, EU leaders are also pledging a strategy on migration. The EU leaders also agreed on the basic elements of a comprehensive migration strategy, which they said would feature prominently at an EU-Africa summit in Lisbon in the second half of 2007.
Laws will be drafted to allow in skilled African workers and more aid measures to tackle African poverty. They urged interior ministers and the European Parliament to agree on the creation of the Coastal Patrol network in the first half of the year.