Blair rules out 'European superstate'

Tony Blair wants Britain to have a bigger voice

Prime Minister Tony Blair has reaffirmed his belief that there should be no "two-speed" Europe as the EU expands.

Speaking at a European Union summit in Biarritz, France, Mr Blair said Britain wanted to make sure political reform in the EU was based on "nations coming together, not some European federal superstate".

"Anything that countries do by way of co-operation together must be open to all members with no exclusivity whatsoever," he said.

He also emphasised it was important that Britain has a bigger say in the decision-making EU council as the union enlarges.

Re-weighting of votes is absolutely essential

Tony Blair

EU leaders are meeting to discuss key internal reforms to enable new members from central and eastern Europe to join in the next few years.

"Re-weighting of votes is absolutely essential because we will be having a smaller commission in the sense of our country not having two commissioners," Mr Blair said.

With the advent of more members entering the EU, he said Britain was prepared to give up one of its commissioners.

But in return, he wants Britain's voice to be heard louder.

Mr Blair said he was happy to see other countries take on enhanced co-operation in some areas provided everyone was free to join such moves.

He also insisted such moves must not harm Europe's single market.

'Fighting organised crime'

"There are two absolute preconditions - one, there must be no two-speed Europe, no hard core, and secondly that this enhanced co-operation must in no way undermine the single market.

"There may be circumstances in which Britain wants to go with other countries further forward -for example in fighting organised crime," he said.

Mr Blair also said it was important that vetoes were maintained on areas such as tax and social security.

French officials believe agreement on the reforms could be reached in time for a December summit in Nice.

They include altering the size of the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, changing the number of votes each member state has and increasing the number of issues to be decided by qualified majority voting instead of unanimity.

Leaders are also discussing "enhanced co-operation", which would let groups of states press ahead with integration in chosen areas, provided that other members were free to catch up at a later date if they wished.

The EU could take in new members as early as 2003, with Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Estonia the current front-runners.

Speaking ahead of lunch with new Yugoslav president Vojislav Kostunica, Mr Blair said he felt the fall of former president Slobodan Milosevic was one of the best things that had happened to the Balkans and Europe for a very long time.

"We want to extend the hand of partnership and friendship to the new Serbian president and people."