Ahern tells Prodi: Nations are at Europe’s heart

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern tonight renewed the Government's commitment to "full engagement" in the European Union at a function in honour of visiting Commission President Romano Prodi.

But in issuing the pledge - exactly two weeks after the shock referendum rejection of the EU’s Treaty of Nice that allows for enlargement of the community through the recruitment of 12 central and eastern European applicant states he also highlighted the importance of the "nation state" within the community.