EU leaders have arrived in Barcelona for a two-day meeting amid the tightest security seen at a European summit. Fighter aircraft, warships and thousands of riot police will protect the leaders from possible attacks from Basque separatists or Islamic fundamentalists.
Spanish police have sealed off part of the city and Madrid has suspended its membership of the Schengen Agreement to set up border controls. Tens of thousands of protesters against the present form of globalisation are expected in Barcelona, but their leaders have promised to remain peaceful and to stay away from the conference centre.
While the meeting will be dominated by economic issues, the leaders are expected to discuss the situation in the Middle East over dinner this evening. The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, who flew to Barcelona from the US last night, is expected to use the meeting to urge the other leaders to agree a declaration guaranteeing Irish neutrality later this year.
The Government is seeking the declaration in an effort to persuade voters to approve the Nice Treaty in a second referendum. But anti-Nice campaigners have already dismissed the move as meaningless, arguing that a declaration has no legal force.
The Commission President, Mr Romano Prodi, has played down expectations that this weekend's meeting will see a breakthrough in the EU's efforts to make Europe more economically competitive. France has blocked a plan to completely deregulate the European energy market, but the leaders are expected to agree a compromise that would liberalise the market.
France is under pressure to give an undertaking to accept complete liberalisation in the future but with presidential elections looming, President Jacques Chirac and Mr Lionel Jospin will be careful to avoid alienating trade unions.
Apart from the economic agenda, the leaders will consider proposals to reform the way they conduct their own business. Mr Javier Solana, who doubles as the EU's foreign policy chief and secretary general of the council, has drawn up a paper outlining options for change.
The proposals include a reform of the EU presidency and the holding of Council of Ministers meetings in public. The leaders will discuss the proposals this evening but will not make a decision on them until they meet in Seville in June.
