The Irish presidency of the European Union got off to a brisk start as the Government met the European Commission in Dublin Castle yesterday. The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, made it clear he is determined to do everything he can to get negotiations on a constitutional treaty going again.
He will consult his fellow leaders proactively (beginning this week and next), assess whether there is the political will to do a deal and report to the March summit in Brussels on whether there is. As the Commission president, Mr Prodi, said yesterday, this combination of discretion and determination is the best choice. It is also the best way for Mr Ahern to head off the renewed political pressure from Mr Prodi and others for a two-speed Europe predicated on a presumed failure to agree on an EU constitution.
Four other major issues will dominate the next six months of EU business: managing its historic enlargement from 15 to 25 member-states; stimulating talks on economic reform; overseeing more co-operation on justice and home affairs, notably about drug and people trafficking across borders; and representing the EU effectively on the world stage during a period of fundamental change in world politics.
The Commission will publish its financial perspectives on the EU budget later this month, setting the scene for what could be a rancorous debate on costs and benefits. Mr Prodi pointed out yesterday that these perspectives are based on the assumed success of economic reforms. Pressure from net contributor states to lower the budget would inevitably mean the EU could not fulfil its objectives, nor continue the transfers to less developed states and regions which add value to the EU's economic integration. As he put it, an enlarged EU can still become the world's most competitive area if it spends its money intelligently on human resources and research and development. The new member-states have great potential to develop productivity, since their levels of skill are much higher than their levels of income.
Ireland has the opportunity to champion such a generous and far-seeing approach to EU enlargement during the next six months as we welcome the in-coming members. But politically the greatest contribution the Government could make would be to restart the stalled negotiations on the constitutional treaty and drive them towards a successful conclusion.
The Taoiseach's strong commitment to that task is welcome. It has been strengthened by talk of the two-speed alternative. As he recognised in his press conference yesterday, there is already provision in EU rules and political practice for groups of states to move faster, so long as others can join when they want. A two-tiered system, with exclusive inner and outer cores, is quite a different and a much more undesirable alternative. That makes it all the more important to conclude negotiations on a constitutional treaty which would make this alternative less possible.