Germany, France Disagree on EU Treaty Reform, Handelsblatt Says

Germany and France disagree over a reform of the Lisbon Treaty that would allow the European Union to influence economic policies of debt-strapped countries, the newspaper Handelsblatt reported, citing an unidentified EU official.

While French President Nicolas Sarkozy favors an agreement for the 17-nation euro area, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is seeking a deal for all 27 EU states, the newspaper said. Germany wants to include a passage into the declaration following an Oct. 23 summit of leaders that would kick-start negotiations about a treaty reform, Handelsblatt added.