Brussels, 19/09/2007 (Agence Europe) - The group of member state legal experts, chaired by Council JurisConsult Jean-Claude Piris and tasked with finalising the draft text on the amending treaty for the EU, is expected to pursue its work next week in order to settle one last, highly complex legal matter which has not yet been fully clarified in the mandate adopted by the European Council in June 2007. The problem in question concerns the Schengen Agreement and the way in which the United Kingdom and Ireland - which have an “opt out” but which take part in certain Schengen provisions - would be involved in future changes to these Schengen provisions concerning them. Then there is also the question of whether these countries should choose between being a part of the modified Schengen Act or sticking to the former provisions before the Act was amended. Once this problem is resolved, the draft treaty will be directly forwarded to the General Affairs Council of 15 October and then on to the informal European Council on 18/19 October for endorsement. No further “sherpa” meeting is foreseen. (hb)