EU:An EU plan to remove member states' veto over decisions on judicial and police co-operation looks likely to fail following opposition from Europe's justice ministers.
At a meeting in Brussels yesterday, several EU heavyweights including Germany and Britain opposed the removal of the national veto over decisions made in these sensitive areas.
The Tánaiste, Michael McDowell, also reiterated his trenchant opposition to the plan, which is being strongly promoted by the European Commission and the holders of the six-month rotating presidency of the EU, Finland.
Yesterday's discussion at the justice council focused on whether EU heads of state should discuss the matter at their summit later this month. The commission and Finland wanted leaders to address the issue due to the impasse encountered by justice ministers over the issue. But a majority of member states rejected the wording of a text proposed by the presidency, and it was finally agreed by ministers only that the topic would be brought to the attention of the European Council meeting.
EU diplomats said that effectively meant the proposal was now going nowhere.
British home secretary John Reid said it was time to move on and close the issue.
"There's a clear and probably overwhelming majority against [giving up the veto]. That's our view. That's the view of our governments. We should not, by using weasel words, attempt to revisit this at a higher level when there's such a clear majority."
The draft constitution had included the proposal to remove national vetos over decisions made in the fields of judicial and police co-operation. But the treaty, which has not been ratified in several states following No votes in French and Dutch referendums, included several safeguard measures that enabled states to refer important matters in these areas to EU leaders summits for extra discussion.
Germany and Ireland have described the commission's attempt to remove the national veto ahead of the ratification of an institutional agreement as cherry-picking the constitution. However, the commission argues that removing the veto is possible using existing legislative mechanisms included in the Treaty of Amsterdam.
France, a supporter of more EU integration in the field of justice, proposed a compromise yesterday that would involve the transfer of some areas in the judicial and police field to qualified majority voting from the current requirement of unanimity. Other EU states, including Ireland, agreed to consider it when ready.
Meanwhile, EU states agreed to set up an agency to monitor human rights in Europe. The Fundamental Rights Agency, which will be based in Vienna, will not have any scope to scrutinise criminal justice or police matters.
A proposal to cover these areas was opposed by Ireland, Germany and Britain among others.