EU enlargement 'on course' despite Iraq war

The President of the European Convention, Mr Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, insisted today there was "no slowing down" in the EU enlargement process despite the growing rift over the war in Iraq.

The former French president, who heads the 105-member European Convention engaged in drafting a new constitutional system for the future 25-member EU, was in Dublin today for talks with the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen.

"It is a fact that Europe is divided over Iraq," he said. However, he insisted the central building blocks of an enlarged Europe, with a single market and a common defence policy, were in place. The process of drafting the constitution was "two-thirds complete", he said.

Britain and Spain supported the United States during its deliberations with the United Nations in attempting to secure a resolution authorising war against Iraq. Two of the EU's other main powers, France and Germany, were vociferously opposed.

Of the 15 members of the UN Security Council, five were EU members, Mr Giscard d'Estaing noted. He lamented the fact that although "the EU was in a position of influence", there was no system in place whereby EU leaders were working together towards a common goal.

There should be a "European priority" to address the various EU member-states "to verify if it is possible or not to have a common stance, and this should have been done at the start of the Iraqi process."

Asked where the Irish government stood on the issue of Iraq, Mr Giscard d'Estaing was somewhat non-committal. He said Mr Ahern told him that the Irish position was that "European union is a very important priority".

"Governments may be divided, but public opinion points to a desire for a common foreign policy," he said, noting that there is already consensus on such issues as security in the Balkans and the World Trade Organisation.

Mr Ahern said he had a "good exchange of views" with Mr Giscard d'Estaing on a "number of important issues", including immigration policy, drug-trafficking and the threat of terrorism.

EU leaders are due to meet in Athens on April 16th for the signing of the accession treaty by the ten new members. It is expected they will formally join the EU next year.