Ireland praised for role in presidency

GERMANY yesterday praised Ireland's handling of the EU presidency and the unexpectedly swift progress made on renegotiating the Maastricht treaty.

Mr Werner Hoyer, Minister of State at the Foreign Ministry told the conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper the new dynamism that had entered the treaty negotiations was due to Ireland's energetic approach to the presidency.

He praised Mr Noel Dorr, the Tanaiste's personal representative on the negotiating committee, for his single minded approach in persuading each member state to outline clear priorities at the outset.

German officials believe Britain's policy of blocking EU business in response to the beef export ban has not only backfired on Britain, but encouraged smaller member states to back more majority voting.

Bonn and Paris are confident the British blockade has also proved useful in winning support for the "flexibility clause" they want to write into the treaty. This would allow a core group of member states to press ahead with greater integration in advance of the rest of the EU.

Britain opposes both the flexibility clause and efforts to integrate the Western European Union defence alliance more closely into the EU.