Blair wants end to 'abstract' EU

The EU needs to focus on issues of concern to its citizens, rather than spend years on "abstract constitutional debate", the UK prime minister says.

Tony Blair said it was easier to make the case for the EU if it was not "remote from the people in the street".

People felt the EU was "on their side" when it tackled "bread-and-butter issues" such as jobs, immigration and energy, he said in Warsaw.

He was speaking after talks on the EU treaty with Polish leaders.

He said the two countries shared "basic concepts" about the future of the EU.

'Working together'

"We both want a Europe that is effective, that is practical, but a Europe that is one of sovereign and independent states collaborating and working together."

His meeting with prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski and president Lech Kaczynski came head of a key EU summit in June, which Mr Blair is expected to attend as one of his final foreign events before he leaves office.

The EU is trying to work out new rules to govern its expanded 27 country membership.

In 2005 the EU constitution was put on hold after it was rejected by two countries in referendums.

It was fully ratified by 16 of the 27 member states but it cannot come into force unless it is ratified by all 27.

Remote arguments

In a swipe at the lengthy process of agreeing on a constitution, Mr Blair said: "We believe in Europe, Britain believes in Europe, Poland believes in Europe.

"But it is easier to make the case for our people when it is a Europe that is not arguing about things that are remote from people in the street, but are arguing about the bread and butter issues, the jobs, and the immigration and the crime and issues like energy, [issues] that are absolutely vital for our citizens.

"When we are debating those issues people feel Europe's on their side.

"When we end up with years and years of quite abstract constitutional debate people don't feel Europe is really in the place they want it to be."

Earlier this week Mr Blair, who is expected to announce his retirement date within the next two weeks, held talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The German EU presidency plans to propose a timetable and some suggestions on the substance of a future treaty at the June summit.

The Berlin Declaration adopted in March 2007 called for institutional changes by the European Parliament election in mid-2009.

'Sneak' criticism

Mr Blair has already backed a Dutch proposal for the EU to push for changes to existing treaties with the aim of easing some fears of a European super-state.

But he has been accused by opponents, including the UK Independence Party, of trying to "sneak" the constitution through without a referendum which UKIP says he would "lose heavily".

UKIP leader Nigel Farage said: "Every time a new treaty comes on the horizon they describe it as a 'tidying up exercise' or 'amendments'. The reality is that each treaty drags us further into a country called Europe."

As part of his diplomatic talks on the issue, Mr Blair also met Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende earlier this month.