Portugal seeks clear mandate on EU treaty

Lisbon, June 20 (Reuters) Portugal said today it would not conduct negotiations on a new European Union treaty unless leaders agreed on a clear mandate at their summit this week.

Lisbon takes over the rotating EU presidency from Germany on July 1 for six months and will be expected to chair talks on a treaty to reform the bloc's institutions if leaders agree at the Brussels summit to launch those negotiations.

''We want a clear and precise mandate,'' a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said, adding that was a prerequisite for opening an intergovernmental conference (IGC).

Portuguese officials have made it clear this means the voting system, bitterly contested by Poland, must be spelled out in the mandate and not subject to negotiation at an IGC.

Germany hopes for a deal on a slimmed-down EU charter at the Brussels summit but Poland could throw that off course if it maintains its insistence on change the reformed voting system at the heart of the proposed new treaty.

The charter is intended to replace a constitution that was rejected by Dutch and French voters in referendums in 2005.

Portugal is one of seven countries in the EU that did not ratify the defunct EU constitution.

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