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EU leaders meet amid Turkey talks collapse

Tony Blair has travelled to Brussels for an EU summit overshadowed by difficulties in Turkey's accession talks.

The prime minister joined fellow European leaders for the two-day meeting which comes at the end of Finland's six-month presidency of the council.

The talks had been expected to be dominated by the issue of enlargement, but foreign ministers agreed earlier this week to partially suspend membership talks with Turkey over Ankara's refusal to open up to trade with EU-member Cyprus.

Other issues set for discussion included improving EU decision-making in home affairs and justice policy, including the use of qualified majority voting.

Agreement will also be sought on concrete measures to be taken next year on a common immigration policy, while Britain is also set to push for action on energy and climate change.

A statement on the crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan is also likely, while other external relations issues such as the Middle East and Russia could be discussed.

The future of the EU constitution could also crop up, with Finland presenting its assessment of bilateral discussion held with members states. The incoming German presidency is expected to try to revive some elements of the document defeated in referendums last year.

Despite the decision to suspend talks with Turkey, accession will still be on the agenda ahead of Bulgaria and Romania joining in January.

Britain had been pushing hard for Turkish accession but accepted the consensus that the process should be slowed down, with eight negotiating chapters suspended.

"There has been no train crash, the train is still firmly on track," foreign secretary Margaret Beckett said ahead of the summit.

"Eight chapters have been suspended - 27 out of 35 are not frozen and there is every prospect that things will work steadily and effectively to make Turkey, in the fullness of time, a member of the European Union.

"The UK government thought eight was somewhat over the top. Turkey has the opportunity to continue to reform and move things forward. This is very important for them."