THE Irish EU Presidency is hoping to defuse a serious dispute with the United States over Cuba at a summit meeting in Washington today with President Clinton.
The Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, said at the weekend he would be telling Mr Clinton of the EU's continued opposition to the US Helms Burton legislation opposing trade with Cuba. He added that the EU would continue its legal action against the measure at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The Taoiseach set off for the US yesterday in the wake of the successful conclusion of the Dublin EU summit. Its strong message of steady progress towards monetary union was reinforced by an equally vigorous statement of commitment to the joint fight against crime, particularly drugs and the trafficking in children.
And with strong praise all round for the Irish presidency, leaders gave the nod to the Irish draft outline for a new treaty as the basis for the work of the next six months.
Meanwhile, it emerged on Saturday that the British Prime Minister, Mr John Major, had told leaders at dinner the previous night that the British would today bring to the Farm Council in Brussels proposals for a selective cattle cull in line with the Florence agreement.
He said they would also be making proposals for a certified herd scheme. The move raises hopes, particularly for Northern farmers, of the possibility of the partial lifting of the beef export ban. The proposals will have to go first to EU expert committees.
The US Helms Burton legislation provides for the penalising of non US companies - including those from the EU - that trade with Cuba. As well as taking action against this legislation at the WTO, the EU drew up a list of possible retaliatory measures during the Irish presidency.
However, the EU delegation to the US hopes the strong statement on Cuba issued at the Dublin summit will persuade Mr Clinton to suspend the full application of the Helms Burton law. According to Mr Bruton: "We will be telling the United States that the European Union ... has adopted a very strong position in regard to the restoration of democracy and human rights in Cuba and we will be maintaining that position consistently and with vigour."
The formal conclusions of the summit in Dublin state that the objective of promoting democracy and human rights should be pursued by means other than unilateral action at the expense of close partners with shared values.
The EU delegation will urge Mr Clinton to continue blocking the Helms Burton law, which has caused the most serious dispute between the EU and US for years and could lead to a damaging trade war if fully implemented.
President Clinton must decide by mid January whether to allow lawsuits in US courts to go ahead against EU companies on a "blacklist", accused of investing in US property in Cuba seized when Dr Fidel Castro took over in 1958.
The Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, Mr Stuart Eizenstat, last week told The Irish Times that the US was "deeply grateful" to the Tanaiste for his handling of this issue, especially for the EU's recent statement on the need to promote democracy and human rights in Cuba. This has now been backed up by the position taken by the EU at the Dublin summit warning Cuba that a future trade pact would be linked to progress in democracy and human rights.
EU co operation with the United States in the fight against drugs trafficking is also on the summit agenda.
In the foreign policy area, the worsening situation between Israel and the Palestine authority over West Bank settlements will be a priority. The EU will also be told about the US desire for the strengthening of civil policing in Bosnia as the NATO forces are reduced.
On the trade and economic side, the US is pleased with the progress made under the Irish presidency on an agreement to eliminate the dual testing of products on each side of the Atlantic. The deadlock in the negotiations was broken recently at a "transatlantic business dialogue" in Chicago and a formal agreement may be announced today which would open the market for $50 billion of two way trade.
The Taoiseach will have a separate meeting tomorrow morning with Mr Clinton to discuss the situation in the Northern Ireland peace process.
Mr Bruton will then fly to Canada for an EU Canadian summit.