Beckett reserved on EU treaty

Britain will only accept the revised European Union (EU) treaty that is set to replace the rejected European constitution if it is in the country's national interest, foreign secretary Margaret Beckett has said.

Speaking on the BBC's Sunday AM programme, Mrs Beckett said "We will look at anything that will tidy up the rule book of the EU now that we are 27 and not 12 or 15 [member states].

"But we will look at it on the basis of does this work for Britain, is this in our national interests and will it make the European Union more effective as an operation."

Germany, which currently holds the EU presidency, is pushing for a new treaty which will give the EU a "single legal personality" and a legally-binding charter of fundamental rights. It is also hoping to remove EU member states right to veto criminal justice matters.

The Observer reports that Tony Blair is unwilling to accept the charter but is willing to negotiate on certain criminal justice issues.

Ms Beckett said Britain would not accept a treaty that requires it to change its social and labour laws. She added that cosmetic changes would not be acceptable to Britain.

Asked about media reports that French president Nicolas Sarkozy was lobbying for Mr Blair to become the EU's first full-time permanent president, she said it was "singularly unlikely" that Mr Blair would want to take up the post.

"My understanding is that he is leaving full-time politics," she added.