Another prerequisite to expansion is the extension of qualified majority voting (QMV) in the European Council.
It would expand the policy areas subject to qualified majority voting (QMV), rather than unanimity.
EU-wide taxes should be decided by qualified majority voting among the Union's countries.
Friday's vote is the first time a commission proposal on GM crops has been defeated through qualified majority voting among ministers.
BBC: NEWS | UK | UK Politics | GM crop bans survive Euro votes
The EU Treaty would also expand the policy areas subject to "qualified majority voting" - rather than allowing all 27 member states a veto - and establish an EU high representative for foreign affairs.
The long-term budget for 2014-20 requires unanimity among the 27 member states, giving the UK a veto - but the budget for the single year 2013 is decided by qualified majority voting, meaning Britain could be over-ruled.
The argument about City regulations was about the danger of a newly united eurozone being able to outvote the UK - using qualified majority voting or QMV - under new rules which are still due to come in 2014.
The Council of Ministers uses a system of weighted qualified-majority voting in which small countries are heavily over-represented.
Qualified-majority voting means, at present, that a proposal must get at least 62 out of 87 possible votes (ie, a 71% majority) to pass.
The fiercest arguments will probably come over qualified-majority voting.
Voting in the 27-nation Council is usually by qualified majority - that is, votes are weighted according to a country's size.
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