The Taoiseach has been honoured in London at a ceremony to mark the achievements of this year's Irish EU presidency.
Mr Ahern received the award - the first such framed certificate from the European Economics and Financial Centre - from the vice chancellor, Sir Graeme Davies, last night in the Senate House of the University of London.
He said was particularly pleased to receive the award because of the centre's deep engagement in European economic and financial integration.
Mr Ahern said the EU presidency presented a significant challenge to any member-state, large or small. This year he visited 32 countries on three continents; represented the EU at summits with the United States, Canada, Japan and Russia; participated in the G8 Summit at Sea Island in the US; and in one 38-day period, he met 74 world leaders in 28 countries.
He highlighted four issues central to the success of the Irish presidency: agreement on the European constitution, the accession of 10 new member-states, efforts to revitalise the European economy and the EU's external relations, particularly the strengthening of transatlantic relations.
"From the outset, I was determined to keep the issue [of the European constitution] at the centre of the council's agenda," he said. "I wanted my colleagues to continue to work hard on achieving the compromises necessary for a final agreement."
He was impressed "by the strong commitment of all my colleagues to the long-term success of the enlarged union."
Mr Ahern stressed two points. "Firstly, the European constitution does not replace, undermine or supersede national constitutions. It does not create a European superstate to which member-states are subservient. Instead it consolidates, clarifies and modifies the provisions of all the existing treaties in a single text."
He continued: "Secondly, the European constitution does not result in the transfer of major new powers to the union. It creates a clear demarcation between the role of the European Union and the member-states, however."
Mr Ahern said the constitution also allocated significant new powers to national parliaments, particularly in monitoring compliance with the principle of subsidiarity. He anticipated "an informed debate" on ratification, based on "a clear presentation of the facts".
The Taoiseach also welcomed the strong emphasis which the President of the European Commission, Mr Jose Manuel Barroso, had placed on the Lisbon agenda, of which "protecting the most vulnerable members of our society" was an essential part.
"After a period in which much of the attention of the European Council and the Commission has focused on securing enlargement and agreeing the new constitution," he said, "it is time to put economic and social issues back at the centre of the European agenda."