EU: The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, will tell the European Commission today that any major revision of the EU constitution could cause support for the treaty to unravel in many EU states, writes Jamie Smyth in Brussels
He will also recommend Irish social partnership and the education system as models to promote growth across Europe in a presentation to the EU executive's 25 commissioners.
Mr Ahern has been invited to sit in at the weekly college of commissioners meeting in Brussels chaired by European Commission president José Manuel Barroso. He will also hold a bilateral meeting with Mr Barroso that will touch on topical EU issues, particularly the fate of the constitution that was rejected by French and Dutch voters last year.
France and The Netherlands are both insisting that the EU constitution cannot be put to their voters again in a second referendum. This means the Commission and the holders of the next EU presidency, Germany, are assessing options on how to find a new institutional settlement.
Mr Ahern, who won plaudits among EU leaders for getting an agreement on the text of the constitution in 2004, is expected to warn Mr Barroso against supporting solutions that would "cherrypick" from the treaty.
Mr Ahern believes that any significant tinkering with the text of the constitutional treaty could unbalance the document and make it very difficult to find a future agreement between EU member states.
For example, Ireland has stubbornly resisted plans by the Commission to remove the national veto over EU justice proposals, citing the danger of "cherrypicking" the constitution. Mr Barroso may raise this issue with Mr Ahern, arguing that immigration and terrorism require a coherent and speedy EU approach.