British share Irish concerns on Europe

THE new British government appears to share many Irish concerns and to be willing to work closely with Ireland in preparing the final phase of the treaty changing EU InterGovernmental Conference (IGC), diplomatic sources said last night. The Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Spring, and the British Foreign Secretary, Mr Robin Cook, had talks in London yesterday.

The hour long discussion at the Foreign Office on the IGC, the first at official level, focused primarily on problems relating to frontier controls and on proposals to incorporate the Schengen Treaty into the EU Treaty.

But Mr Spring is also understood to have warmly welcomed the shift of British policy into the mainstream of European thinking, most particularly the British willingness to sign up to the Social Protocol and to see it and a chapter on employment incorporated into the treaty.

Spokespersons for both governments said the meeting had been extremely cordial, very focused and detailed, and had reflected a strong willingness to work closely together.

While there is broad acceptance within the EU of a British and Irish opt out on abolishing border controls, Mr Spring is understood to have warned that current proposals from the Dutch on the issue may cut across traditional decision making of the 15, creating unnecessary procedural barriers between the two opt out countries and the other 13.

He stressed the need to ensure maximum participation by Britain and Ireland in those aspects of the Schengen Treaty with which they agree.

Diplomats say they believe there was a clear interest on the part of Mr Cook to hear a detailed view of Irish concerns.

On security and defence, Mr Cook is understood to have expressed a strong wish to limit the defence role of the EU and to see only a modest shift from current methods of decision making. The position reflects continuity in British policy in the area and will ensure that proposals for a merger between the WEU and EU are almost certain to be seen as unviable.

The meeting was also attended by Mr Spring's personal representative to the IGC, Mr Noel Dorr, and diplomats from both sides.