THE Taoiseach yesterday called on the European Union to turn from its internal preoccupations and initiate a new philosophical, cultural and ethical debate about its place in the world.
Mr Bruton was in Strasbourg to report to MEPs on the Irish presidency and last month's Dublin summit.
He also took the opportunity to meet the Commission President, Mr Jacques Santer, and protested to him about the Commission's decision on Tuesday to cut export refunds on beef by 10 per cent.
The decision was a "bad policy", Mr Bruton said, which would particularly hurt Ireland because of its dependence on exports to third (non EU) markets.
The Government would be making proposals to the Commission to see if it could get the decision overturned, the Taoiseach said. He had also discussed the Egyptian beef ban. On this issue, Mr Bruton said, Ireland had strong support from the Commission.
Mr Bruton also put down a clear marker that Ireland would fight to ensure that proposals on treaty changes to allow flexible integration of the Union would leave as little room as possible for opt outs by member states.
The issue, seen as one of the key challenges of the Inter Governmental Conference, is likely to prove deeply divisive as Britain pushes for maximum flexibility.
Speaking to MEPs, Mr Bruton put aside his scripted comments after giving an account of the Irish presidency to make his appeal for a new international ethic.
Of necessity, he said, Europe had looked inwards in dealing with its preoccupations of treaty reform, the single market and the single currency.
The big challenge for the next century, however, would be the ethical problems involved in Europe's position of wealth and privilege in the midst of huge want in Africa and the Middle East "on our very doorstep".
Whereas in 1950 Africa's population was half that of Europe by 2025 it would be three times as large, he said. "These are demographic and environmental time bombs we need to defuse."
To preserve Europe and peace, it was necessary to develop a new global ethic by asking the question "Has our sense of what we are caught up with global reality?"
Mr Bruton won almost unanimous praise from MEPs for the Irish handling of the presidency, although Ms Patricia McKenna (Green) denounced what she saw as the increasing militarisation of Europe implied by proposed draft treaty changes. She also criticised what she described as the presidency's failure to address the growing gulf between rich and poor.
Mr Santer praised Ireland's success as a small State and was joined by Mr Gerry Collins (Fianna Fail) and all the Irish MEPs in arguing that the six months had demonstrated the strength of the rotating presidency system.
Ms Pauline Green, the British leader of the Socialist group, paid particular tribute to the presidency's close liaison with the European Parliament and specifically to the role played by the Minister of State for European Affairs, Mr Gay Mitchell.
"Ireland's Government," she said, "unlike its big neighbour, understood the European challenge."
Mr Pat Cox (Ind) said his only caveat was the failure to press through the programme of economic liberalisation. This would cost jobs in the long run, he said.
Mr John Cushnahan (Fine Gael) warned against accepting any proposals for flexibility in the IGC which pandered to recalcitrant nationalist" countries.
Mr Thomas Mann, a German Christian Democrat, said that Ireland might not be among the largest countries of Europe, but its presidency showed it was among the greatest.
