The Tanaiste, Mr Spring, has welcomed the announcement by Mr Chirac of an end to the tests. Speaking on his return from Brussels last night, he said: "It is now time for rapid intensification of the negotiations on the completion of a comprehensive test ban treaty to bring a permanent end to all nuclear tests.
His remarks were echoed by Greenpeace's Dublin campaign director, Mr John Bowler, who added that France should be sanctioned for its "rogue" behaviour in carrying out the tests.
THE Tanaiste, Mr Spring, yesterday called on his fellow EU foreign ministers not to be unnerved by a reflex of pessimism" on the introduction of a single currency.
Responding to the latest tide of speculation that the 1999 launch date for the euro will have to be put back, Mr Spring said that "we ought to adhere to our goals and approach them with a realistic sense of purpose".
Speaking later to journalists, Mr Spring said that reports suggesting the British government believes the euro deadline is no longer a runner simply did "not reflect the view of the majority in the EU".
He refused to be drawn into speculation about the legal problems involved in changing the deadline "We are not in the business of speculating about postponement, but only in the business of fulfilling the criteria," he said.
Earlier, in response to weekend press comments in Britain, the Commission issued a statement denying that it was preparing contingency plans for a delay in the launch. "We have no secret plans to do so," the Commission spokesman emphasised.
The German Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr Werner Hoyer, also joined the ranks of those, determined to stem the pessimism, echoing the Chancellor, Dr Helmut Kohl's weekend call for the deadline to be adhered to. "We have to respond to critical voices," he told ministers, "but not let ourselves be deflected by them. Let's not talk the whole thing into the ground."
But the British Foreign Secretary, Mr Malcolm Rifkind, warned that statements of commitment to the 1999 date were not sufficient. The issue would need to be clarified to reassure markets, he said. Pressed on what he was proposing, Mr Rifkind, would only say that commitments needed to be rooted in an economic analysis.
The ministers endorsed a proposal to appoint as the EU special representative in Cyprus the former Italian ambassador to Moscow, Mr Federico di Roberto. The move has been opposed by the leader of the Cypriot Turkish community, Mr Rauf Denktash, who has argued that Greece's membership of the EU predisposes the union to the Greek point of view.
Mr Spring yesterday defended the appointment, arguing that, with a timetable for Cyprus EU accession agreed, the time was ripe to advance the peace process.
The meeting failed to agree on recognition of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).
Meanwhile, the Italian government, currently holding the EU Presidency, has circulated its proposals for the conduct of the Inter Governmental Conference on the reform of EU structures. Negotiations are to be conducted, under the direction of foreign ministers, in weekly talks in Brussels and will involve ministers' personal representatives and delegations of no more than four.
Meetings are due to start after the Turin opening of the IGC at the end of March, and the Italian presidency promises to present the group with detailed proposals on simplifying the Treaty by the end of June.
Attempts to involve the European Parliament are continuing but face some legal problems.
