Former French president Mr Valery Giscard D'Estaing, heading an overhaul of the way the European Union works, said today enlargement may go ahead even if Ireland rejects the Nice Treaty.
A second referendum on the Nice Treaty, which prepares the EU for enlargement from 15 to up to 27 nations, is expected in October.
Speaking after a meeting with prime minister Mr Anders Fogh Rasmussen of Denmark, which took over the EU presidency yesterday, Mr Giscard said a second Irish No to the treaty would leave the bloc in a difficult legal situation.
"But I think we can cope with it," he told a joint news conference. "Enlargement is needed, so we must then take initiatives to be able to form a legal basis for enlargement."
Mr Giscard is leading a 105-strong convention on the future of Europe which is considering how to boost the efficiency of the EU and make sure decision-making does not become too unwieldy when the EU accepts new members in coming years.