European leaders argued this evening over who should lead the newly expanded EU's executive after conservatives proposed Britain's Mr Chris Patten.
Ireland, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said it was "closing in" on an agreement after it put forward proposals to narrow differences over voting powers, the bloc's battered budget rules and policy areas where national vetoes remain.
Meeting for their first summit since the bloc gained 10 new members in May, leaders were due to discuss over dinner who should head the Commission but the decision could well be put off until tomorrow or even into coming weeks amid deep divisions.
Conservatives meeting ahead of the summit threw open the race by nominating Mr Patten, Europe's external relations commissioner, to succeed Mr Romano Prodi to lead the EU executive from November after Britain torpedoed Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, favoured by heavyweights Germany and France.
French President Jacques Chirac said it would be hard for the president to come from a country that was not a full member of all EU policies, an apparent bid to rule out Mr Patten or Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, whose countries are not among the 12 members of the euro single currency.
Mr Chirac reiterated his support for Mr Verhofstadt, but said he was waiting to see the full field ofcandidates.
Mr Verhofstadt is a Flemish liberal whose support for closer EU integration and fierce opposition to the US-led war in Iraq mean he has several opponents, including Britain and Italy.
Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, a freshly re-elected Christian Democrat preferred by most leaders, insisted he would not seek or accept the job.
The Taosieach Mr Ahern, chairing the two-day summit, said Ireland would make final proposals tomorrow to answer remaining objections on the treaty designed to improve decision-making in the enlarged bloc that is the product of two years of tortuous negotiations.
Poland and Spain, whose stand on voting rights sunk a deal in December, voiced hope that they could agree a text this time round. And Britain, although it vowed to protect its national veto in some areas, said a deal was more likely than not.