THE British and Irish governments are not close to any agreement on how to deal with contentious marches in Northern Ireland, according to the Tanaiste.
Today's Anglo Irish Conference will discuss the parades issue and the lack of progress in the multi party talks at Stormont, Mr Spring said. But at a press conference in Strasbourg yesterday, he did not hold out the prospect of early significant progress.
"We have had 37 days of circling the talks," he said. "We have not had any momentum. We want to get agreement on the rules of procedure and on the agenda and we want the parties involved in meaningful and substantive discussions."
The time remaining to resolve the issue before the Apprentice Boys march in Derry next month was very short, he said. For a considerable period of time the Government had been urging the establishment of an independent commission to adjudicate on contentious marches. "We are not at the moment close to political agreement on the resolution of that whole issue."
He said yesterday's meeting between Government officials and Sinn Fein representatives was "necessary and urgent in view of what has happened in Northern Ireland".
He said he had been struck by the number of MEPs who mentioned Northern Ireland during the parliament debate on the Irish presidency. "There is a very deep concern in the parliament shared by us in relation to Northern Ireland."
In response to calls from some MEPs for the European Council of Ministers to take a political role in relation to the North, he said it was difficult to see what that role would be. "The two governments are actively engaged in this on a day to day basis. We want the leaderships of the political parties to take a role. That's where the solution lies."
Mr Spring earlier told the European Parliament that the primacy of politics over street violence had to be asserted in Northern Ireland. "The rule of law must be seen to prevail and to be effectively policed in an impartical manner. A solution must be found to the issue of contentious parades which served to provoke the recent unrest.
"The inspiration which sustained the founding fathers of the European Union their determination to build peace in diversity and banish forever the violent divisions of the past may also serve to inspire the people of Northern Ireland and the Irish and British governments in the challenges which now confront them."