EU leaders last night expressed confidence that their deliberations on treaty reform had laid the basis for a successful outcome of the Inter-Governmental Conference at the Nice summit.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said that it was now much clearer where the basis of agreement was and where the work had to be done.
The French European Affairs Minister, Mr Pierre Moscovici, also struck an upbeat note, particularly on the scope now apparent for reducing use of the veto. He also said that the French Presidency saw a consensus on the need to reform the EU's procedures for flexible co-operation although there are still wide differences on how to do it.
And Mr Ahern specifically drew attention to Irish concerns that the use of the flexibility provisions in the area of foreign and security policy would undermine the coherence of the EU's external policies. "If there is a convincing case we are willing to hear it," he told fellow leaders. "But I did not hear it." Ireland is unwilling to lose its veto in five of 34 treaty articles which are suggested by the EU Presidency as amenable to majority voting. It has some reservations on seven, and is either supportive of or indifferent to the loss of the veto on the rest.
The Irish blacklist includes the familiar area of taxation, the concluding of international agreements in the foreign and security field, and the appointment of the secretary general and deputy secretary general of the Council of Ministers.
Ireland is also very unhappy about the prospect of losing the veto on anti-discrimination issues and its reservations over social policy area are shared for a variety of reasons by the Danes, the British, and Germans.
In Denmark, the preservation of its welfare model was central to the euro referendum debate and the government has indicated a willingness to consider relinquishing the veto only if it can simultaneously guarantee that system.
The Germans are determined not to see their industrial "codetermination" system undermined, while Ireland argues that it does not want to see elements of compulsion in the areas of industrial consultation upset its successful model of social dialogue.
The French Presidency is working on a text that would copper fasten member states' defence of their individual welfare systems.
Diplomats say the British showed a considerable willingness to move away from unanimity on a range of issues, except on the key question of tax where the French President of the Council, Mr Jacques Chirac, acknowledged to fellow leaders no movement was likely.
France itself, although fervently advocating majority voting as extensively as possible, faces constitutional difficulties in extending it to immigration and visa rules. And Paris is determined to block it in aspects of external trade policy relating to intellectual property. The latter is seen as crucial to defending its culture, Mr Moscovici, said.
According to an internal Commission assessment of member states' positions the Spanish appear most attached to the veto, opposing changes to 11 clauses, while Italy, on the other hand appears to have no blacklist at all.
Following the debate on the size of the Commission yesterday afternoon a British spokesman acknowledged that attempts to shake small countries from their one-country/one-commissioner line are likely to be unsuccessful at this IGC.
But the Germans have moved significantly on the issue, now endorsing French proposals for a smaller Commission with automatic rotation of the entitlement to a commissioner.
The Taoiseach reiterated that preserving the Irish commissioner remained a bottom line issue. He rejected the idea that a large Commission was unworkable, insisting: "I believe the Commission is stronger and more efficient with national representation from each member state."
Concerns about efficiency could also be met, he said, by reforming the inner workings of the Commission, particularly in strengthening the powers of the president.
