France says Irish draft reflects "mediocrity" of the IGC's work

EU Foreign Ministers sent a strong signal of support yesterday to Serbia's democracy demonstrators and gave a broad welcome to the Irish Presidency's outline for a draft new EU treaty.

But the chorus of plaudits for the Irish text was not joined by the French Foreign Minister, Mr Herve de Charette, who delivered a broadside against the "mediocrity" of the work being done by the Inter Governmental Conference (IGC).

Irish diplomats were expressing surprise at the strength of Mr de Charette's attack given what they insisted were the closest contacts with the French during drafting. There was some speculation here, however, that the French minister was simply grandstanding ahead of a Franco German initiative expected from Monday's joint summit in Nuremberg.

The ministers, who were meeting for the traditional pre summit conclave, put back any question of restoring full trade relations with Serbia with a strong signal to the leadership that, in, the words of the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Spring, "respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms are a precondition for closer relations with the EU".

The ministers condemned the undemocratic annulment of certain election results and arbitrary action regarding certain media.

The ministers, also agreed to sign a new association agreement with the Palestinian Authority on Tuesday.

The German Foreign Minister, Mr Klaus Kinkel, said that their first view of the Irish IGC text was on the whole positive. He welcomed the ambition of the section on justice and home affairs (JHA) which he said broadly reflected their position. German sources say they expect the Franco German paper to concentrate on this area. Work would have to be done, he said, fleshing out text on foreign and security policy and particularly on the institutional relationship between the WEU and the EU.

Mr de Charette said that although the Irish Presidency had done "a serious job" it had drafted a treaty text which was "a reasonably accurate snapshot of the mediocrity of the work done to date [in the IGC]". He did not blame the Irish, he said, but there were some member states who wanted to do an absolute minimum. "We are lacking in ambition," he said.

But Mr de Charette attacked the draft for failing to deal with institutional questions like unanimity voting and voting weights specifically excluded on the instructions of the Dublin October summit. On both JHA and foreign and security policy, he said, the text offered no answers.

Mr Spring, told the press that he did not think that Mr de Charette's comments could "reflect the position of anyone who sat down and went through the document". It had received overwhelming backing as a working document from his fellow ministers, Mr Spring said.

Was he suggesting Mr de Charette had not read the text? Such was their sense of anticipation, Mr Spring said, "that I am sure all my colleagues would have read the document within hours".

A senior Italian diplomat, Mr Silvio Faggiolo, paying tribute to the text, said that from his experience of the Maastricht negotiations, the final text agreed in man areas was likely to closely mirror Irish proposals.

The Dutch Foreign Minister, Mr Hans van Mierlo, whose country takes on the next presidency, said the document was a good basis for negotiations.

. A US State Department spokesman said Serbia needed to open a dialogue with the Zajedno, (Together) opposition.