The acceptance by Portuguese prime minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso of the post of EU Commission president was the final plaudit for Taoiseach Bertie Ahern at the end of an extraordinarily successful presidency of the EU.

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has held meetings with European Commission president Romani Prodi and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar to discuss Irish concerns about the fishing policy reforms.