The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, has said the Government will look "quite constructively" at ending the national veto over more areas of EU foreign policy, marking an apparent shift in its position, writes Mark Brennock Chief Political Correspondent in Athens
He was speaking at a press conference yesterday after a discussion between EU leaders and the president of the Convention on the Future of Europe, Mr Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, spoke at the meeting in favour of a set of institutional reforms - supported by 18 member-states - designed to guard against larger member-states acquiring too much influence in the enlarged European Union.
At a press conference in Athens yesterday, Mr Cowen said there were very few areas of foreign policy where Ireland would disagree with a common EU position.
He suggested qualified majority voting could be extended in this area so long as there was an "opt-out" mechanism where vital national interests were affected.
"Where an essential national interest was at stake, member- states would have the right to reserve their position and not be obligated into signing up to a common position if it was felt that an essential national interest was at stake," he said.
However, there were very few issues where Ireland would have a problem "so therefore we are able to look at that quite constructively".
In the wake of the EU's inability to reach a common position on Iraq, it was important for the Union to strive to speak with one voice.
His openness to the idea contrasts with his remarks in a speech in Brussels a fortnight ago.
Then Mr Cowen merely noted that there were "those who argue that we should move to wider use of majority voting" on foreign policy.
"If this is to be contemplated, I think that we will have to look at the safeguards needed," he said, adding that the "special position" of security and "defence matters" should also be recognised.
Mr Cowen's expressed view on common foreign and security policy was mirrored by signs of flexibility from some other member-states yesterday on issues which are important to them.
According to sources, the Spanish Prime Minister, Mr Jose María Aznar, said he was open to maintaining equality among member-states in the European Commission, having previously supported the idea of smaller member-states occasionally being left out of the Commission in order to keep its size down.
Mr Giscard d'Estaing told EU leaders he would finish his report at the end of June as planned, allowing for political negotiations at an Inter-Governmental Conference to start in the autumn.
In an implicit acknowledgement that institutional reforms to the Union may not all be to Ireland's liking, he warned individual changes should not be seen in isolation.
Rather they should be seen as a package to answer the question: "What is the optimum outcome that can gain the greatest degree of consent without undermining the necessary criteria of coherence and effectiveness?"
The Taoiseach outlined Ireland's positions, many of which are shared by other small- and medium-sized members anxious to avoid large state dominance.
Minister of State Mr Dick Roche met heads of Government and Ministers from 17 member- states who broadly share the same concerns.
These concerns, said Mr Cowen, "include the need to maintain the equality of member- states, to preserve institutional balance", to ensure more decision-making through EU institutions rather than directly between governments, and to ensure all member-states have equal representation in the European Commission.
Mr Roche said the paper that formed the basis for much of yesterday's talks was one produced by 16 small- and medium-sized states, including Ireland.