POLITICS-EU: Bumpy Ride Ahead for Irish Presidency

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Stefania Bianchi

BRUSSELS, Jan 5 2004 (IPS) - Ireland has rejected the idea of a "two-speed Europe" as it takes over the rotating presidency of the European Council.

The Irish government replaced Italy at the head of the bloc Jan. 1 for the next six months. The European Council brings together heads of state or government of the 15 member states of the European Union (EU), and the president of the European Commission (EC). The EC is the executive arm of the EU.

The idea of a "two-speed" Europe gained ground after the collapse of talks on a new Constitution at the intergovernmental conference between member states last month.

France and Germany, the core founder members of the EU, talked of the possibility of like-minded nations integrating more closely in the absence of a Constitution. Such a move could leave many other states on the sidelines.

The draft Constitution text was prepared over 16 months by the European Convention chaired by former French president Valéry Giscard d’Estaing.

The new draft Constitution aims to bridge the gap between EU institutions and citizens, and to give the EU new shape ahead of enlargement in May with the inclusion of ten new countries. The ten new countries are Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Irish Prime Minister and now head of the EU presidency Bertie Ahern says member states must overcome differences over the Constitution.

"A two-speed Europe – with one group going ahead and others being left behind – would create a lot of division and a lot of difficulties," Ahern told the BBC’s Breakfast With Frost on Sunday.

"In the present treaty arrangements there is an enhanced cooperation mechanism where countries, providing they’ve set the agenda to suit everybody, can move forward," he said. "The euro is one example, but there are other areas. So that can happen already."

Negotiations over the Constitution collapsed because of a dispute over voting weights between France and Germany on the one hand and Spain and Poland on the other.

Poland and Spain insisted on maintaining the number of votes they were allotted three years ago, though this would give them almost the same voting rights as Germany with about twice the population of either country.

Belgium, Luxembourg and Greece among the current members and Hungary in the new intake have expressed some support for a EU "hard core". But most other countries agree with Ireland that such a move would be divisive.

Ahern will present his report at the next EU summit to be held in Brussels March 25. "What I propose to do is to sound out my colleagues and see when are they prepared or how will they be prepared (to move) and report back into the March or Spring Summit," Ahern told the BBC.

Ireland also faces a number of other challenges. Elections to the European Parliament and the need to appoint a new commission are likely to complicate an already difficult presidency. Ireland will be the first EU member state to preside over a Union of 25 member states as of May.

The Irish Presidency comes also when several EU institutions will not be working. The European Parliament will finish its legislative work by the end of April. It will be dissolved shortly afterwards in preparation for elections in June. The EC too will be winding down as it approaches the end of term in the autumn.

EU leaders will have to nominate a new president of the Commission after Romano Prodi steps down. A new high representative for foreign affairs and a new deputy secretary general of the European Council will also have to be appointed.

Prodi and his commissioners will travel to Dublin Jan. 6 to discuss issues facing Ireland’s presidency.

Ireland has said it will aim to make a success of enlargement and give renewed impetus to the Lisbon strategy for Europe’s growth and competitiveness at the spring European Council meeting. The Lisbon Strategy was set out in March 2000 to bring about economic, social and environmental renewal in the EU.