THE "over-riding" challenge of the Dublin summit "is to show our citizens that the Union has the capacity and the will to deal with the issue of greatest concern to them, unemployment and personal security", the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, told his fellow EU leaders yesterday.
Setting out the agenda for this weekend's summit in the traditional letter to leaders, Mr Bruton writes that the meeting must also "demonstrate a commitment to advance the political and economic health of the Union" by ensuring "decisive progress" on Economic and Monetary Union and on the treaty-changing Intergovernmental Conference (IGC).
The Taoiseach welcomed the contribution to the debate in the latter from President Chirac of France and the Germany Chancellor, Dr Helmut Kohl, at their Nuremberg meeting on Monday. But Mr Bruton makes clear in diplomatic language that he hopes the Irish Presidency's general outline for a draft revision of the treaties will be the central focus of the debate and "be seen as a good basis for further negotiations under the Netherlands Presidency".
Implicitly responding to criticism from the French Foreign Minister, Mr Herve de Charette on Friday of the failure of the Irish document to propose treaty text on the more controversial institutional changes, Mr Bruton echoes his call for "ambition" at the IGC. "Ambition remains necessary in all areas including certain areas in which the Presidency, responding to a general wish of delegations, has submitted an analysis of the issues and options rather than draft articles in Treaty form," the letter says.
The Taoiseach says he expects that the general discussion is likely to focus on the fight against crime and those institutional issues which, he says, will be settled at the latter stages of the IGC next year.
The meeting will open on Friday with a discussion on the appointment of the head of the Dutch Central Bank, Mr Wim Duisenberg, as head of the European Monetary Institute. The agenda then moves on to various aspects of monetary union, including the still unresolved problems with the stability pact and a presentation by the EMI of its recommended designs for the Euro banknotes.
The leaders then debate employment, the IGC, and the fight against drugs and trafficking in human beings, before being briefed by the Commission President, Mr Jacques Santer, on preparation for enlargement.
Over separate leaders' and foreign ministers' dinners on Friday they will discuss foreign policy and leaders will hear a presentation by President Ahtisaari of Finland on the future role of the Council of Europe in human rights.
Saturday's discussions will be dominated by work on final declarations with lunch attended by the applicant countries from central and East Europe and Cyprus. Discussions will focus on combatting international crime.
On Saturday evening, the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Spring, will host a dinner for his Turkish counterpart, Ms Tansu Ciller.
