The scale and intensity of the task facing the Government as it takes over the European Union presidency for six months in January became clear at a seminar on the subject in Dublin yesterday.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and several Ministers outlined their priorities and work programmes at the meeting, and responded to questions from a large attendance.
This is the sixth Irish EU presidency. It will be among the most important because of the large internal and external agendas facing the EU in a complex and rapidly changing international setting. Being prepared for the unexpected and being flexible enough to respond is probably the central requirement. The great uncertainty is whether Ireland will have to take on the task of completing negotiations on the EU's constitutional treaty, if they are not concluded in Brussels next weekend.
Welcoming 10 new states into the EU will be the dominant context of the presidency, as Mr Ahern said yesterday. Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia have been preparing for this since most of them emerged from the Soviet bloc after the end of the Cold War in 1989. Fifteen years is a long time getting their economies and political systems ready for EU accession; but it is better that they be well prepared and judged able to bear the strain involved. Opportunities and challenges will open up for Ireland, but the new entrants have much good will for this State and believe they have a lot to learn from Ireland's experience in the EU.
Mr Ahern made the point that "making enlargement work is only the first step. It is important that we then make the enlarged Europe work for all its people". This is why the Government has put the economic and social agenda at the heart of its work programme. Low growth, high unemployment and socio-economic reforms are being intensively discussed ahead of a summit in Brussels next March. The Tánaiste, Ms Harney, spelled out the details involved yesterday, as did the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, on justice and home affairs.
It was the discussion on the EU's involvement in international affairs that really brought home how large a player it has become. President Bush's agreement this week to dismantle steel tariffs to avoid EU sanctions is indicative of the extent to which transatlantic relations are set to loom large during the presidency. As the EU Trade Commissioner, Mr Pascal Lamy, put it, "when Europe is united and it is united on trade policy, it can play a role in world affairs that corresponds to its weight".
The Government is committed to pursuing a stronger multilateral system through reform of the United Nations and helping the EU become a more coherent player in world affairs. The Middle East conflict, Iran, Iraq, African development, relations with Russia and the EU's other new neighbours are to be prominent issues. It is a daunting and exciting challenge.