Jose Manuel Durao Barroso has been backed as the new European Commission president.

The EU's 25 leaders were gathering for a short summit on Tuesday evening to rubber stamp his nomination.

The Portuguese president had emerged as the compromise candidate over recent days, following earlier divisions over the EU's top role.

He is judged sufficiently pro-European by the French and the Germans and his support for the war in Iraq makes him acceptable to Britain, Italy and Poland.

Federalist Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt had been vetoed by Britain, and the French had objected to Chris Patten, currently European commissioner in charge of external affairs.

Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, who heads the EU's rotating presidency until this Wednesday, had indicated the appointment was a done deal.

"Over the last number of days I have been consulting extensively with colleagues and I am very pleased to be able to confirm that there is overwhelming support for the appointment of Portuguese prime minister Barroso as president of the commission," Ahern said.

Barosso's appointment will have to be ratified by the European parliament, which is expected to be a formality.

Outgoing president Romano Prodi applauded the appointment on three levels.

"First, because of Jose Durao Barroso's personal merits; second because it recognises Portugal's constructive participation in the European integration process; and third, because it sends a signal of the EU's restored unity," he said.