Taoiseach says renegotiating of Nice Treaty 'is not going to happen'

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, firmly ruled out the Government renegotiating the Nice Treaty.

Mr Ahern said that such an option "will not get us the first half-length" because that was not where Europe was at.

"Member-states are willing to discuss issues, but opening up the treaty for renegotiation, after they negotiated it throughout 2000 is not going to happen."

However, the Taoiseach agreed that the fears of Irish voters would have to be allayed.

He added that most Irish people were in favour of EU enlargement.

Asked what he would tell his EU colleagues at the European Council meeting in Barcelona about the treaty, Mr Ahern said: "I believe the position of people on the enlargement issue is now quite clear, and I will also deal with the other issues.

"I will convey my view that the majority of people do not wish to block enlargement, that we must proceed to ratify the Nice treaty and facilitate the arrangements which must take place before the end of this year, and that it is our intention to work to that agenda.

"I also hope to explore, perhaps informally, some of the areas, format and procedure on which it may be possible to get the agreement of other member-states.

"We know the areas on which we will not get agreement, but there are some legal issues we need to explore to see if we can get agreement on them."

The Labour leader, Mr Ruairí Quinn, asked if Mr Ahern would be telling his colleagues in Barcelona that Ireland looked to the emergence of a declaration from the Seville summit to allay Irish fears expressed during the course of the Nice campaign.

These related to military engagement, conscription and forced participation in some European military organisation, he added.

Mr Ahern said the general answer was "yes". Precisely what could be done would have to be discussed with the legal services, centrally around the issue of neutrality, he added."I have no doubt that the legal services will make it clear to use that we cannot start changing the Treaty in any way.

"However, these are issues which were not part of the Treaty but formed part of the decision made by people who rejected it."

Mr Ahern said that Ireland had been working with officials in the European cabinet sub-committee on how best to do this.