The Minister for Foreign Affairs yesterday warned his colleagues of the heavy workload they will face during Ireland's Presidency of the European Union which begins on January 1st next.
At yesterday's Cabinet meeting in Emo Court, Co Laois, Mr Cowen told Ministers that the Government's six months of steering EU business would involve around 1,000 meetings at official and Ministerial level, 100 of which would take place in Ireland.
The Taoiseach and Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Justice and Finance will have particularly demanding roles during the Presidency. However, all Ministers will chair meetings with their colleagues from the 15 member-states, growing to 25 member-states after the 10 accession states join on May 1st.
Ireland may have to chair the final negotiations of a new EU treaty if that is not completed during the current Italian Presidency of the EU. Ireland's Presidency will also welcome the 10 new member-states on May 1st, 2004.
Speaking to reporters after yesterday's Cabinet meeting, Mr Cowen said the Government would not just have to manage the EU's internal policy programme but its external relations. "We will have to co-ordinate the common positions of not just 15 member-states as has been the case up to now, but 25 member states."
He said the accession of the 10 new members would be "the defining issue of our presidency". In addition, Ireland would have to continue accession negotiations with Bulgaria and Romania, and discuss with Turkey the prospect of accession talks beginning at the end of 2004.
He said the Taoiseach would be chairing separate summit meetings between the EU and the US and Canada, and would travel to Tokyo to chair one with Japan.
In relation to the Inter Governmental Conference negotiating a new EU Constitution or Treaty, Mr Cowen said that while it was possible this would be completed by the end of this year, it may well fall to Ireland to complete it.
The European Union has ended the practice of holding its major summit meetings in the member-states which hold the Presidency. The two European Council meetings to take place during the Irish Presidency will therefore take place in Brussels. The first of these will deal with the so-called "Lisbon agenda", according to Mr Cowen. "This is a 10-year plan that began a couple of years ago to make the European Union the most competitive economy in the world within 10 years." This was an attempt to maximise employment levels within the Union.
He said the system of rotating the EU presidency was useful for small states such as Ireland, and for the European Union. "Opportunities are given to countries like Ireland to participate in a manner that will enhance our reputation. In fairness to previous governments of all political views in the past, Irish presidencies have been seen as professionally and well done."