The Minister of State for Europe has said the Government will resist any attempt to name the new European constitution as the Treaty of Rome if it is not finalised during Italy's presidency of the EU later this the year, writes Arthur Beesley, Political Reporter.
Mr Dick Roche said the Government would push to have the Treaty of Dublin title used if the constitution was finalised during Ireland's six-month presidency, which begins in January. The Wicklow TD added: "Personally, I'd like to see a Treaty of Bray." While the Italian government is keen to conclude a second Treaty of Rome, Mr Roche doubted whether an Inter-Governmental Conference beginning in September would complete its work before Italy's presidency finished at the end of the year.
Mr Roche noted that many differences exist between EU members on proposals for a new constitution being developed by the Convention on the Future of Europe, which is to complete its draft constitution next month. These differences would have to be resolved before the legal text of the treaty was written, he said.
But while Mr Roche said the Government would not get worked up on the possibility of a Treaty of Dublin, he added: "You can bet your life that we'll be pushing for it."
While noting that such titles were only colloquial, he said the bulk of the work for the Amsterdam Treaty was carried out during an Irish presidency.
When the presidency passed to the Netherlands, the treaty took the name of the Dutch capital.
Mr Roche was strongly critical of suggestions by the president of the Convention, Mr Valery Giscard d'Estaing, to introduce tax harmonisation in Europe. "There is not a jot of intellectual argument in support of this," he said.
He said reform of the European Commission in line with the EU's expansion would have to be conducted with equality. If smaller states lost a Commissioner on an alternate basis, then large states would have to lose one too.
An alternative system in which states would retain a permanent Commissioner but alternately lose the power to vote would also have to be equal between big and small states.
The Minister of State said at a briefing that preparations for the Irish presidency were very advanced. "It would be fair to say that Ireland's sixth presidency of the EU is very much upon us," he said.
Besides saying that the expenditure would be very significant, he did not know how much money the Government would be spending on the presidency. He believed the sum would be reduced by 10 or 20 per cent because there will be no summit meetings in Dublin. Under a new system that will operate during the Irish presidency, summits will be held in Brussels.