EU: The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, has expressed confidence that the EU's constitutional treaty will be agreed next month despite gloomy predictions yesterday from some foreign ministers.
The ministers met in Brussels for the first formal negotiating session on the treaty since the collapse of last December's summit.
Mr Cowen said they had made significant progress on a number of issues, including a proposal to replace the current system of six-month, rotating EU presidencies with a team arrangement under which three countries would share the responsibility for 18 months.
"I am more encouraged this evening rather than less encouraged. Based on the progress so far, I think we'll get there."
Mr Cowen's upbeat tone contrasted with that of his Polish counterpart, Mr Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz, who complained that nobody had listened to his proposals for resolving a key dispute over voting rights in the Council of Ministers.
"If it goes on like that, I would not bet on an agreement," he said.
During the meeting, Britain's Mr Jack Straw clashed with Germany's Mr Joschka Fischer when he asked for assurances that the Charter of Fundamental Rights would not place new legal obligations on national governments.
Mr Fischer accused Mr Straw of employing "salami tactics" by demanding once concession after another, slice by slice.
France's Mr Michel Barnier backed Mr Fischer, warning against introducing fresh demands at this stage in the process.
He said there would not be agreement by June 18th if everyone applied "blockages, reservations and national reflexes".
The ministers continue their talks today when they discuss an Irish presidency compromise on the composition of the European Commission, which would set a limit of 18 commissioners after 2014.
This would mean that one member-state in three would be without a commissioner during each five-year period.
The ministers will also discuss the sensitive issue of extending qualified majority voting to new policy areas, including a proposal to abolish the national veto on a limited number of tax issues.
The Irish presidency hopes to secure agreement on these issues in advance of next month's summit, leaving EU leaders to focus on a few institutional issues.
Mr Cowen stressed that EU leaders had made a commitment in March to find agreement next month, but he acknowledged that the possibility of failure remained.
"The final litmus test of our negotiating technique can be tested at the end of the European Council in June."