An overnight rewriting of a controversial French Presidency paper on the EU's social programme appeared yesterday to have removed one of the most contentious issues from next week's Nice summit agenda.

The draft text submitted by the French two weeks ago had been targeted by the Commissioner for Social Affairs, Ms Anna Diamantopoulou, as "traditional and old-fashioned", and opposed by most memberstates for having ignored the conclusions of the EU's modernising and reforming e-summit in Lisbon in the spring.

The Minister of State for Labour Affairs, Mr Tom Kitt, said yesterday the new text, which reflects the Commission's less legislative approach, was broadly acceptable to Ireland.

The Commission paper, he said, reflected a "good balance between the structural economic goals set at Lisbon and the support that an effective social policy can provide in attaining those objectives in a socially cohesive fashion".

But Social Affairs Ministers failed to agree proposals for a directive on information and consultation of workers that is now not expected to be agreed until next year's Swedish presidency. Ireland was joined by Germany, Denmark, and the UK in opposing the directive which would require employers in enterprise employing more than 50 workers to consult work forces in advance about restructuring plans.

Mr Kitt said Ireland adopted a voluntary approach to such issues and did not approve of legislative prescription.

But diplomatic sources say the Germans have undertaken to back the measure as soon as Spain accepts proposals on worker consultation in a directive laying the basis for a European company statute.