EU in disarray awaits knockout Dutch blow

European Union leaders called for a "pause for reflection", as opinion polls showed that Dutch voters will probably emulate those in France, who voted by some 55 percent to 45 percent on Sunday to reject the constitutional treaty.

The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said it accepted the decision of the French people but appeared ready to weather this week's storm and wait for the bloc's leaders to meet in mid-June to discuss what went wrong.

"It's important to analyse what happened in France, it's important to understand the message, it's important to understand it in all its detail," said commission spokeswoman Francoise Le Bail.

"It's impossible to draw any conclusions at the moment before there has been a discussion amongst all the partners at the European council."