"Key part of EU Constitution may be changed
14.01.2005 - 09:45 CET | By Honor Mahony
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Just as member states get down to the difficult task of persuading their citizens to vote for the Constitution, it emerged that a central part of the document may be revised.
In a bid to ease French fears about Turkey membership of the EU and the voting power it would wield due to its size, the European Commission President told French daily Le Figaro on Wednesday that the rules may be changed.
'If it is necessary to change the rules [for Turkish membership] we will do so, but that is not an issue today' said Jos� Manuel Dur�o Barroso in the interview.
He was referring to the voting system to be used to take decisions under the new Constitution.
After much wrangling during the negotiations, member states eventually settled on a double majority system based on population and a number of member states.
In order for a decision to be taken 55% of member states representing 65% of the total EU population are needed.
By the time Turkey joins the EU, not before 2015, it is expected that its population will have outgrown Germany's - currently the biggest member state in the European Union.
Commenting on Mr Barroso's interview, his spokeswoman said 'when the time comes to change the constitution we will discuss it but the time has not come'.
Member states in December agreed that EU talks with Turkey should be formally opened in October.
But in France, particularly, there are fears that the referendum on the Constitution planned for May or June may become entangled in the Turkey question - French voters are largely hostile to Turkey's EU membership.
News that the part in the Constitution which determines the future balance of powe"
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