Any decision by EU governments on the future of the constitutional treaty and the ratification process should be taken collectively, EU Ambassador to the US John Bruton said at the weekend.
The former taoiseach warned against "individual countries deciding on individual courses of action which may not be consistent".
The referendum results in France and The Netherlands had to be kept in proportion, he said. "The EU retains all the powers that it has had all the time and the citizens of the EU retain all the rights that they had as citizens of the EU.
"It's probably wise for the governments not to decide what they are going to do, until they meet on June 16th, because it is important that whatever decision is taken is a collective decision that they all buy into.
"If they need to have a meeting sooner they should do so, to make a collective decision about it rather than have individual countries deciding on individual courses of action which may not be consistent, the one with the other." He added: "The Irish Government, in putting in place the means of ratifying the treaty and in not going beyond that at this stage and not giving any indication that they are moving away from proceeding, are adopting the right course." Asked if the results signalled the end of Turkey's prospects of EU membership, Mr Bruton replied: "I don't think so but, equally, one can't ignore the high level of concern that's being expressed in many quarters about the prospect of Turkish membership. Not only is this being expressed by voters in the referendums but also we have heard, for instance, the German Christian Democrat leader Angela Merkel, who may be the next chancellor, expressing a negative view.
"On the other hand, Turkey is a candidate and the negotiations will start. Turkey has made major and successful efforts to meet the criteria so far, although there is much remaining to be done. Rather than make any conclusion on that at this stage, we should let time look after it and, in the fullness of time, when the negotiation is completed - and that may be quite a time away - we will be able to make a decision at that stage, in much greater knowledge than we can possibly make it now." He pointed out that, in legal terms, "The EU remains entirely in the same position as it ever was, as far as bringing in new members is concerned. It can bring in a new member that meets the criteria. But that decision has to have the unanimous agreement of all the existing members.
"It is undoubtedly the case that many have interpreted the French and Netherlands results as in part an expression of concern about either present or future enlargement and clearly that is something that European leaders in the future, as wise people, will want to take into account," he said.
Ambassador Bruton was speaking to The Irish Times in San Antonio, Texas, where he represented the European Commission in a discussion on EU and US immigration policies at the Fourth Annual Transatlantic Journalists Forum.