The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, is to raise Ireland’s concerns over neutrality and the Nice Treaty over lunch with heads of state of the other EU members.
According to a spokeswoman for the Irish delegation in Seville, where a European Union summit opened this morning, the EU leaders are expected to raise no objections to a national declaration by Ireland, the text of which is expected to be released later this afternoon.
The declaration is expected to enshrine Irish neutrality in the Nice Treaty and in any other treaties that will be signed by the European Council in the future.
In addition, the spokeswoman said, the European Council is expected to make a joint declaration which explicitly recognises and acknowledges the content of the Irish declaration.
Texts of both declarations will be made public this afternoon.
Speaking on RTÉ radio earlier this morning the Taoiseach admitted that the historic position of Irish neutrality was of concern to those who voted No and those who had not voted in the Nice treaty referendum.
He also rejected suggestions that an EU declaration on Irish neutrality would not be legally binding.
"What we are seeking to do in our national declaration and in the European declaration is to state clearly and unambiguously that there is nothing in the treaties that in affects our neutrality any way.
"There is nothing that in any way forces us to or interprets that we have to join a European army or any kind of other military alliance or common military position," Mr Ahern said.
He added that a political commitment was being sought not only from the 15 member-states during the two-day summit but also the legal secretary of the European Commission and the Commission itself.