THE NETHERLANDS: There were lessons for the Netherlands in the Irish experience of holding constitutional referendums, the Dutch Minister for European Affairs, Mr Atzo Nicolai, said in Dublin.
While state-wide referendums were a customary feature of Irish political life, the Netherlands has never had one up to now. But Mr Nicolai said his country would probably hold a "consultative referendum" on the proposed Constitutional Treaty for the EU.
"In the event of a referendum on the new treaty, the Dutch government will certainly look at the experience Ireland has gained in holding them," he told the Institute of European Affairs.
"The Irish electorate has only once turned the Government down on a European question. That was in 2001 in the referendum on the Nice Treaty.
"The Irish Government learned a lesson from that. And the Dutch Government will have to learn the same lesson. We will have to do all we can to make things clear to our citizens. What do we stand to gain? What do we stand to lose? Making things clear should be our aim, referendum or not."
He said it was "an open secret" that the negotiations in the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) were proving difficult.
"It is of course possible that the Italian presidency is deliberately heading for deadlock. In that case, member-states might support an Italian compromise in December. Out of sheer desperation. That is a conceivable, but uninviting prospect.
"What is more, success is by no means assured. Of course, we will continue trying to round off the IGC this year. And that is still possible. Nevertheless Ireland must be prepared to take over from Italy at the negotiating table on January 1st, 2004. Just in case."
The Dutch succeed the Irish in the presidency of the European Council next June and Mr Nicolai pointed out that the two member-states are required to draft an annual operational programme of Council activities. They were putting the "finishing touches" to this programme, which would be presented next month.
On the issue of Euro-American relations, he said both Ireland and the Netherlands had a multilateral outlook and strong ties with the US. This gave them "excellent credentials" to shape the EU's transatlantic relations. "The relationship with post-Iraq America could to with a boost."
Mr Nicolai told The Irish Times that the Dutch parliament planned to hold the referendum on June 10th, 2004, the same day as the elections to the European Parliament.
But the final text of the treaty might only be available in March or April. There was a common desire to complete negotiations ahead of the accession of 10 new countries on May 1st, 2004: "So there is a deadline, let's say the beginning of March."