A stunned European Commission has promised "more democracy, more involvement and more enlightenment" after Ireland rejected the Nice Treaty.
The Irish EU Commissioner Mr David Byrne said: "We need to examine the reasons why the Irish people have taken this dramatic decision to reject the Nice Treaty.
"I believe there is considerable confusion about the treaty, what it means and more particularly what its implications are. This is not unique to Ireland.
"Clearly we all need to do more to explain what is taking place in the EU and to have a greater involvement of the public in the debate on the future direction of the Union.
"While the Irish people have spoken, I do not believe that fundamentally they wish to stand in the way of enlarging the Union and the contribution enlargement will make to peace and prosperity in the candidate countries.
"I would be confident that, with sufficient reflection, consideration and assurance, the Irish people will in time be in a position to endorse the enlargement of the EU."
Now commissioners are promising to make more effort to explain and simplify the EU's workings- implying that the Irish would not have delivered a No vote if they fully realised what was at stake.
Commission president Mr Romano Prodi expressed his disappointment and conceded: "This situation undoubtedly underlines the need for greater efforts from all of us to explain Europe to our citizens and to involve them more thoroughly in the debate about the Union, its role and its future direction."
Mr Prodi said: "The objective of an enlarged Europe must be realised. We mustnow find the most appropriate way to pursue the goals of the Nice Treaty. Our will to secure the accession of new members must be clearly demonstrated".
The deadline for ratifying the treaty is the end of next year, leaving theGovernment and the commission time to get the process back on track.
The result will now be discussed by EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Monday, with no-one precisely clear about the legal and political implications of the Irish vote.
PA