There was no grand plan in Brussels for the establishment of a European superstate, the EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, Mr David Byrne, said in Dublin yesterday.
"There is no superstate in mind," he told the Association of European Journalists. "This is not the ambition of anybody. I have never heard anybody in the European Union talk about an ambition to move in the direction of establishing a superstate or anything like what is in the United States."
The aim was much more modest, according to the Commissioner. "There are many different forms of federation. Germany is a federation, Belgium is a federation, there are many, many places that have federations. What I think it would be much more like would be a federation of nation-states: it is more traditionally referred to as a confederation rather than a federation. That is as far as I believe it will ever go."
He did not believe he would ever live to see a European superstate: "I don't see a day in my lifetime coming about where we are ever going to see a federation of Europe of the type that is often spoken about by those who are concerned about a move in that direction. A United States of Europe I don't see in my lifetime, a superstate I don't see in my lifetime."
On the Treaty of Nice, Mr Byrne said: "The situation now exists that 14 other member-states have ratified Nice. Nice is now on the agenda as far as they are concerned and negotiations are continuing with the candidate countries."
The hope was that up to ten countries would be ready to join the EU in time to take part in the European elections in 2004.
"So that raises the question. If the 14 others have signed up and we haven't, what's going to happen?"
He continued: "I would much prefer to see a Yes vote in a referendum coming up in the future. And I suppose the bald question will have to be asked of ourselves, all of us, when we come to vote in the referendum: Do we want to be part of the European Union or do we not?"
Asked about possible scenarios in the event that the treaty was rejected for a second time, Mr Byrne said: "There are obviously logical consequences if Ireland doesn't ratify. Nice requires the ratification of all 15, so Nice can't be ratified.
"The 15 member-states of the EU will then have to come to a conclusion: Do we start again and have another 'go' at this?
"I firmly believe they will not come to that conclusion. If 14 say: 'This is the basis on which we believe enlargement should take place', I think it is unlikely that they will succumb to a request to renegotiate the entire package all over again.
"They may then have to seek to proceed with enlargement in some other manner, using Nice as a basis.
"Perhaps, for instance, one possible way of dealing with this would be the same issues agreed by the 14 as being the basis on which the candidates could join. This could be done also, perhaps, on an accession by accession, case by case basis with the same principles being included.
"But I think it is too early for us to speculate to any great extent on these kinds of issues because we are in a very delicate situation," Mr Byrne said.