The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, joins the other European Union leaders at Feira today and tomorrow for their regular six monthly summit, which concludes Portugal's EU presidency. The agenda is mainly concerned with work in progress to prepare for enlargement of the Union, which could see it almost double in size over the next 10 to 15 years. Reforming decision-making and representation and developing new security structures dominate that agenda; but since most of those issues will be decided under the forthcoming French EU presidency it looks as if several others, such as whether the bilateral sanctions against Austria should continue, will receive equal attention.
Ireland has many interests at stake in the Inter-Governmental Conference currently under way to reform the EU's institutions in preparation for enlargement. Pressure to streamline the European Commission would see the right to nominate a member to it undermined, if certain states get their way. There is strong pressure to extend qualified majority voting and to revise the weighting of votes assigned to the existing and prospective members. This summit is expected to agree that the IGC should consider whether to relax the rules applying to enhanced co-operation or flexibility, which allows groups of member-states participate in projects that a minority does not want to take part in. It will consider reports on progress in drawing up a charter of fundamental rights and on the new EU rapid reaction force capability. Decisions on whether these require legal expression in the EU treaties will be made over coming months, universally expected to culminate in a new Treaty of Nice next December.
A coherent and effective EU, governed according to laws with a continental reach, is profoundly in Ireland's interest. That is what this IGC is intended to achieve. But there are valid fears in Ireland and elsewhere that smaller states could lose out if the balance between the institutions is altered by marginalising the Commission or transferring decision-making substantially back to governments. Flexibility could create a two-tiered system, presenting difficult choices for this State on participating in core activities; it worries prospective members which fear the goalposts are being moved ahead of their accession. Mr Ahern and his team are well aware of these issues and concerned to protect Ireland's interests as they are negotiated; but that will involve difficult choices, which would be made easier by more public awareness and discussion over coming months. Although the issues sound legalistic and arcane, in fact they go to the heart of the system from which Ireland has gained enormously over the last generation.
Ireland is among a group of six or seven states pressing for a formula to bring the bilateral sanctions on Austria to an end. Imposed by the other 14 heads of state or government after the Austrian conservatives formed a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party, the sanctions have definitely moderated the new government's behaviour and its willingness to adhere explicitly to European norms and values. But as yet there is no political consensus on how to bring them to an end. There is much merit in the proposal that this summit should declare the beginning of an end to the sanctions, based on a procedure to monitor Austrian compliance with such norms.