Plan aims to avert EU rows with US

THE Government is preparing a system to head off disagreements between the European Union and the United States as a major plank in its aim to improve relations.

The relationship was seriously damaged by the dispute over the invasion of Iraq and by a series of trade wars, several of which are still ongoing.

The Government plans to have the early warning system devised in time for the EU-US summit in June, which it hopes will take place in Ireland and be attended by US President George W Bush.

The idea was spelt out to the European Commission that visited Dublin yesterday for a meeting with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and his ministers.

A government spokesperson said they will work to have the innovative system agreed finally by all EU leaders at the June summit in Brussels on June 17 and 18.

The effort will be spearheaded by Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen, who said they will try to build on the success of Iran, where Europe played a leading role in avoiding a confrontation with the US and the UN over nuclear inspections.

Mr Cowen said the rift between the EU and the US over Iraq was beginning to heal.

“But we need to move beyond that as we succeeded in doing with the Iran situation and as we need to do in areas of trade policy.

“There is a lot of work to do in concert with the US and we cannot continue to define our relationship in terms of the differences between us.” The Government intends to focus on areas where it can co-operate fruitfully and pragmatically with the US.

In matters of foreign policy, Mr Cowen said they had a lot of work to do in Iraq, in Afghanistan and in the Middle East.

Trade between the world’s two wealthiest consumer markets has been hampered by rows from Mr Bush’s steel tariffs to genetically modified foods and has cost both trade areas vast sums of money.

Preparations for the next stage of the World Trade Organisation talks also take place during the Irish presidency. If the EU and the US fail to agree the details of the way forward by April, the real negotiations will be delayed for another year.

“We have an extensive bilateral trade and economic agenda, as well as the pressing issue of how we should proceed on world trade issues post-Cancun, ” said Mr Cowen.

One of the ways in which the Irish presidency will progress the transatlantic relationship will be to stress what they have in common.

Mr Cowen’s spokesperson said there was no dispute involving 96% of trade between the two blocs, while the rows involve just 4% of business.

The Government intends to link Canada into the equation also to strengthen Europe’s relationship with North America generally and will use the upcoming EU-Canadian summit to pursue this.