UK wants EU ‘super council’

The United Kingdom is considering putting forward proposals which would establish the authority of the European Union's three biggest powers (France, Germany and the UK) in a body similar to the United Nations Security Council. Such a plan is bound to upset smaller Member States, Italy and Spain. UK officials insist that decision-making at European Council and Council meetings is already close to unworkable and the situation will only deteriorate when up to 10 extra countries join the EU in 2004