Brussels, 08/04/2005 (Agence Europe) - In view of the differences of opinion which appeared within its own ranks during the interservice procedure, the European Commission was unable to adopt a proposal to improve the clarity of Community legislation dating from 1989 on the definition, presentation and labelling of spirit drinks. The written procedure, which is due to expire on 5 April, was suspended until further notice because of the reservations of some Commissioners' cabinets. It is the second time that the Commission has failed in its bid to improve the quality of this legislation. One of the main obstacles to the Commission green light on the proposed regulation concerns the precise definition of vodka, which also divides the Member States of the EU. The aim of the text was to draw up new legislation based on three categories of products and adapted to the requirements of the WTO agreement on trade-related intellectual property rights (TRIPS).