EU heads of state are in Brussels tonight as the battle over the direction of the hugely contentious EU constitution moved up a gear.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, today was generally positive about discussions that ranged from the appointment of a European Council president to the number of new commissioners and changing vote weighting.
The Italians who hold the presidency hope to get agreement on the constitution before it hands over to Ireland at the end of the year. But some foreign ministers today acknowledged that Ireland will be the venue were agreement is finally reached.
The initial round of talks today centred on the size of the future European Commission and the role of a new EU "foreign minister".
The draft constitution which is the focal point of discussions recommends that the new "minister" should represent the EU as a whole on the world stage - dividing time between sitting in on Commission talks and liaising with governments.
The extent of the powers and budget afforded are the main source of disagreement.
Poland and Spain are leading the resistance to the proposed abolition of weighted votes in the Council of Ministers and a redefinition of qualified majority voting.
It has been suggested that both countries might agree to the change in return for a return to a system giving larger states two commissioners but Mr Cowen said the Irish would not agree.
Discussions on EU defence policy are taking place tonight.
Additional reporting by Agencies