Ahern says treaty will boost EU’s role in world

THE European Union will have a more powerful say in world affairs if the Lisbon treaty comes into effect, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said.

Speaking in Boston last night, Mr Ahern said the EU’s voice on the world stage up to now has “remained relatively muted”.

But implementing the treaty would help give the EU a “more cohesive” role in international issues.

Among other things, the treaty would create a so-called high representative for foreign affairs and security policy — essentially an EU foreign minister.

The treaty also seeks to strengthen Europe’s ability to respond to “crisis management tasks”, such as peacekeeping missions, conflict prevention, or operations to strengthen international security.

Almost all member states are expected to ratify the treaty by a vote in parliament, with many already having done so. Ireland, however, is holding a referendum on June 12.

Mr Ahern, giving an address at the John F Kennedy School of Government in Harvard University, said it was an “important priority” for Ireland to ratify the treaty, which would give Europe the capacity “to deal with the challenges of the 21st century.

“For all of Europe’s advances in promoting economic integration — the achievement of the single market and the successful launch of the single currency, the euro — our international voice has remained relatively muted. The new European treaty attempts to rectify this deficit.”

Mr Ahern said the crisis in the Balkans in the 1990s had taught Europe a “sad, costly” lesson.

“This became a catalyst for the development of a more meaningful external role for the union.

“We came to realise that a united European view would carry infinitely more weight than individual states acting alone…

“We know that Europe cannot rest on its laurels. We must move forward and, for many of us, this means devoting more of Europe’s energies to coping with external challenges.”

The Taoiseach flew to Boston yesterday following his address to the US Congress the previous day.

Mr Ahern was welcomed by Senator Edward Kennedy, whom he again thanked for his contribution to the peace process in Northern Ireland.

Today, both men visit the JFK Library. The Taoiseach will return to Ireland this afternoon.

Meanwhile, Mr Ahern poked fun at his tribunal troubles during his final Washington engagement.

He was addressing the assembled guests at a reception hosted in his honour at the Irish embassy on Wednesday night when he made the joke.

Referring to the fact another reception had been held there for St Patrick’s Day, Mr Ahern stated: “I said to Ambassador Collins and [his wife] Marie when I was here last March that, you know, I was really apologising for messing up their garden — because the two of them when they get home every evening, after a long day working for the country, they look after this garden, and never did I think I’d be back in a matter of six weeks to wreck the garden again.

“So if any of you are doing nothing on Saturday morning, come down and give them an aul’ dig-out,” he added to raucous laughter. “That phrase has another meaning in Ireland, but anyway.”