Poland says Germany in step forward on EU treaty

BRUSSELS, June 20 (Reuters) European Union president Germany acknowledged officially for the first time that two EU member states have problems with a proposed reformed voting system for the bloc in what a Polish negotiator called a major step.

Polish President Lech Kaczynski's diplomatic adviser, Marek Cichocki, yesterday said a draft mandate for negotiations on a new treaty reforming EU institutions, circulated to representatives of the 27 EU leaders, included a footnote mentioning his country's concerns about the voting system, shared by the Czech Republic.

''This footnote is a first step in the right direction.

Berlin for the first time admitted there is a problem with the voting system,'' he told Polish reporters, two days before an EU summit meant to launch talks on a treaty to replace the European constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters.

No German spokesman was available for comment.

REUTERS KN SBA BST0631