European Union leaders are close to a deal on the legal guarantees of national sovereignty that will be offered to Ireland so that it can hold a second referendum on the bloc's Lisbon reform treaty, say EU diplomats.
Negotiators from the EU's 27 countries have yet to agree on the precise wording of the guarantees on taxation, neutrality and abortion, but diplomats said yesterday there was widespread optimism that an accord would be ready in time for an EU summit on Thursday and Friday.
