An acrimonious disagreement between EU member-states about the management of the single currency was last night resolved, clearing the last major institutional obstacle to the introduction of the euro.
The European summit also finally buried the Cold War with its decision to set in train the European Union's most ambitious enlargement process to date.
Agreement on the participation of non-single-currency countries, such as Britain, in many of the meetings of the controversial Euro-X committee settled a dispute that threatened to mar the summit and the start of the British presidency.
The main euro challenge is now to prepare for the naming of the participant countries on May Day.
However, constructive ambiguity in the wording of the compromise left many wondering if the leaders were just postponing a row. But diplomats said the text was deliberately fudged and would be implemented "in good faith".
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, last night welcomed the decision. "We would look forward to the UK joining the single currency, and anything that prevents their isolation would be welcomed by us," he said. "They will be included in most areas of economic policy discussion. The more inclusively they are involved, the quicker they are likely to join. So we in the discussion this afternoon lent our support in that spirit."
The spokesman for the British Prime Minister was insisting that Mr Tony Blair had achieved his objective of blocking the undermining of the EU's all-inclusive decision-making structures. Others welcomed Mr Blair's implicit acknowledgment that those countries which do join the euro must be allowed to meet alone on some issues of specific concern to them.
The German Finance Minister, Mr Theo Waigel, reiterated that countries which opted not to join the euro would have to pay a certain political price. "You cannot be both in and out at the same time," he said.
The dispute threatened to overshadow the historic decision of the day on a framework for negotiating the accession of 10 countries of central and eastern Europe. Leaders backed a Commission proposal to start formal negotiations with five countries, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Slovenia, as well as Cyprus in April.
But to reassure those not on the fast track - Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia - the summit insisted that a wider enlargement process would also be started on March 31st. The five will be brought into a major "screening" process to assess their readiness for membership.
The summit deferred considering the Agenda 2000 package of reforms to the EU's internal policies, although the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, put down a strong marker that Ireland would not allow dilution of the commitment to cohesion. Generous transition arrangements would have to be put in place for those losing structural funding eligibility, he said.
Mr Andrews last night briefed his fellow foreign ministers at their special dinner on his visit this week to Algeria.
Meanwhile, at their dinner, heads of government were due to address the unresolved issue of improving the EU's troubled relations with Turkey. Turkish participation in a pan-European Conference, a new pre-accession forum, has been blocked by Greece.
EU leaders settle the ins and outs of euro management; Terms for substantial enlargement agreed; Turks `humiliated' by accession conditions: page 13 Editorial comment: page 17
