Ireland prepares to take centre stage with EU presidency

THE assumption of the political leadership of the EU has become a major challenge with the expansion and growth of the union and next January Ireland takes over the responsibility, possibly for the last time.

The job has become so demanding it is likely to be shared out between a team of five countries in future, with each taking responsibility for particular areas over a two-and-a-half-year term.

However, in just over nine months’ time Ireland will assume the presidency and preparation for this is well underway in Dublin, Brussels and in the Irish embassies in the EU capitals.

The Taoiseach will become the face of the EU from January to June with the other Irish ministers chairing the meetings relevant to their areas such as Foreign Affairs and Justice.

Behind all these high-profile events will be an army of civil servants working to ensure the smooth running of the world’s most populous union. It will involve preparing and chairing 4,000 meetings mostly dealing with mundane issues like agreeing technical aspects of food safety regulations. It will also mean organising high-profile world political events, such as summits with Presidents Putin and Bush. Where these will be held has yet to be decided.

These meetings and summits make up just the normal work of any presidency in recent years, but Ireland will have the added responsibility and honour of chairing the first meetings of a 25-member EU.

Another historic event likely to take place on Ireland’s watch is the Inter-Governmental Conference on the future shape of the EU. Here the leaders of the EU member states will consider the constitution prepared by the convention on the future of the EU, and take the decisions on the kind of union we will be part of for the next few decades.

The man at the centre of all the preparations, likely to cost the country over 80m, is Foreign Minister Brian Cowen.

A good presidency makes a major difference to the running of the EU, and the smaller countries have run some of the best. Despite the massive drain on their civil service and politicians, their presidencies tend to run smoothly and achieve more.

The Danes had the job from June to the end of December last and its success has set a benchmark for Ireland. Minister Cowen attributes this not just to Scandinavian efficiency but to the fact that Denmark is one of the smaller countries.

The larger countries tend to be used to getting their own way because of their size, but being the president offers a different challenge. The presidency needs to listen carefully to all the members and negotiate an agreement that brings everyone along as far as possible.

This will be Ireland’s sixth time to hold the presidency and the country’s reputation in Europe is very good both for its achievements in political terms, and for the helpful and friendly approach politicians and civil servants bring to it.

“We do not have major agenda items nationally and so we are good in the chairman’s role in building consensus,” said Minister Cowen. Northern Ireland has also given us lots of experience in this regard.

However, the costs, and the profile, will be cut during this presidency because the twice-yearly summit of the EU leaders will be held in Brussels under new rules. As a result the colourful cavalcades and traffic-jamming security with leaders on their way to Dublin Castle seen in the past is unlikely to be a feature. Instead there will be a series of informal, or non-decision-making meetings of various ministers, some in Dublin but a number in other parts of the country depending on the home region of the relevant government minister.

Each country adopts a logo and a set of aims for its presidency. The Designers Guild of Ireland has been asked to submit proposals for a design that usually features the EU stars and something to symbolise the host nation. Final decisions are being made on the design to feature as a backdrop at press conferences and on stationary.

Working away on ensuring the Irish presidency is a real success is Europe Affairs Minister Dick Roche. He is dividing his time between the Convention on the Future of the EU where he leads the Irish delegation, and preparations for the presidency.

Ireland will put emphasis on the so-called Lisbon Agenda that aims to make Europe the world’s most dynamic knowledge-led economy by 2010. This is a programme to increase jobs and wealth by having a truly single market and abolishing all obstacles to trade across the union. The Spring summit that concentrates on economic issues will be held during Ireland’s presidency so will provide a focus for Ireland to push this agenda. It will also allow the country to hammer home its bottom line when it comes to the EU that there must be no effort to have the same tax rates across the union, but that each member state must be able to set its own tax levels.

Justice matters will loom large during the presidency when plans for police co-operation and free movement of people reach the top of the agenda.

The EU’s role in aid and development with third world countries, especially in Africa, is also being considered as an area where Ireland could make an impact. The EU is the world’s largest donor, contributing two and a half times the amount of non-linked aid that the US contributes. Its offices in countries around the world manage projects run by the EU and by non-governmental agencies.

The spotlight will be on Ireland when we will chair the first meetings of all 25 members after the 10 new countries join officially in May next year. The only event likely to overshadow this would be the Inter-Governmental Conference (ICG) on the Future of Europe.

The convention drawing up the blueprint for a new constitution is due to finish its work this June. The Italians, who take over the presidency in June, want this conference held in Rome. The union’s founding treaty was signed there, and they would like the constitution that will take over from the treaties to be signed in their capital city also.

However, a number of countries want time to debate the constitution with their citizens and parliaments and the candidate countries must be involved also. As a result, the date for the IGC could fall into the Irish presidency.

There has been a lot of behind the scenes manoeuvring on this issue and it has yet to be resolved. According to Mr Cowen, Ireland is ready to chair what could be the EU’s most important council in decades.

Ireland’s central role in the EU begins in June when the country joins the troika made up of the past, present and future presidents of the EU.

The three are involved in all major decisions and debates on EU matters to ensure consistency in policies.

How the EU is run:

Council of the European Union: it is made up of the ministers from all the member states most representing their national interests at EU level. Its leadership is shared out between member states that each takes the presidency for six months. Current presidency is Greece, to be followed by Italy in June and Ireland in January.

The Commission: the civil service of the EU together with the Commissioners that head up each department and who are nominated by each member state. The Commission proposes legislation to bring about the objectives of the EU, implements the legislation and then ensures the member states adhere to it.

Its president is Romano Prodi until June 2004.

European Parliament: the citizens in each member country elect its 626 members. It must agree to legislation in over 70% of EU policy areas together with the Council before they can become law. It also controls the EU budget and must approve it each year. Its president until June 2004 is Munster MEP Pat Cox.