Seventeen countries have made clear their opposition to plans by the European Union's biggest states for a new full-time EU president to work alongside the present Commission president.

Fourteen present and future EU member states, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Portugal and Ireland, echoed previous warnings by the three Benelux countries against "the creation of permanent new institutions" and backed the current rotation system of the European council of national leaders.

By contrast, Britain, France, Spain, Italy and Germany have all endorsed the idea of a semi-permanent full-time president of the council, although with differing degrees of support.

Italy sees the role as one of a "chairman" rather than a president, while Germany made its commitment only in return for assurances that the European Commission would also be strengthened.

In the middle ground, Sweden and Denmark both also signed Friday's paper by the smaller countries, but "expressed the willingness to examine the idea of an elected chair of the European council".

Poland, which did not sign the paper, says it is "halfway" towards the idea.

This week Romano Prodi, European Commission president, reiterated his suspicions of any such post.

But other commissioners have suggested they could accept a council president - if he or she did not encroach on the executive role of the Commission or that of a putative foreign secretary for the EU.

Gjis de Vries, the government representative of the Netherlands on the Convention on the future of Europe, indicated his country might consider a similar stance in the future.

"My government has not reached that point," he said. But he also labelled a full-time council president "a recipe for confusion, acrimony and stalemate".

The depth of the division was underlined by a senior British official who said: "If there's an attempt to castrate the president of the council in these ways that's not a runner."

Nevertheless, the country is aware that partners such as Italy, Spain and Germany may be more willing to water down the role of the president.

EU leaders will meet in Athens on April 16 to discuss the issue, together with proposals to elect the president of the Commission and establish the post of foreign secretary.

The Convention will debate the subjects a month later, and will have to agree a text as part of a draft EU constitution to be submitted to leaders by June 30.

Ultimately the constitution will need to be agreed and ratified by the 15 current EU members and the 10 countries joining next year.

Financial Times, April 4 2003