Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, has said that candidates are being considered for the newly-created EU posts.

Reinfeldt added on Tuesday that a shortlist was expected soon, in which case he would call a special EU summit to appoint the bloc's permanent president and foreign policy chief.

The French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has agreed to a European Union leaders meeting next week for consultations over the matter but doubted that anyone would be nominated, as no "favorites" had yet emerged.

The EU's Lisbon Treaty, which establishes the posts of president and foreign policy director, is expected to take effect across the 27-member nations on December 1, after the opposing country, the Czech Republic, inked the document last week.

“I am now phoning all the EU heads of state and governments to hear who they want to fill these posts. I am half-way through my consultations. When I have spoken to everybody and have a better overview of the situation, I will invite my colleagues for an extra summit in Brussels,” Reinfeldt told reporters in Berlin on Monday.

The Belgian Prime Minister Herman van Rompuy has emerged as a frontrunner for the post of EU presidency, especially after former British Premier Tony Blair's chances receded as the Germans and the French hinted that they were supporting another candidate.

Amid persuasions from his Labor party to shun overtures of running for the post of foreign policy direct, UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband has officially expressed disinterest in the EU post with "friends" saying that he saw his future in domestic politics.

Candidates for the new EU posts must be nominated by the government of one of the body's member states.

ZHD/MB