Cowen to brief EU summit on Lisbon demands

WHILE the rest of Europe is focusing on kick-starting the flailing economy and saving the planet from global warming, Irish eyes will be firmly on the Lisbon treaty at today’s EU summit.

But thanks to months of work and deft political meetings by the Government and civil servants, the outcome on the issue of Ireland’s ratification of the treaty could well be seen as a damp squib.

Contrary to some expectations, the Taoiseach Brian Cowen is not expected to name a date for a second referendum or even promise there will be a second vote — and he is unlikely to be pressed on this.

But he will tell fellow EU leaders that if Irish concerns are addressed, the country could consider trying to ratify the treaty again.

He will hope to get agreement in principle that each country will keep its commissioner if the treaty does come into existence.

Lisbon allows for this until 2014, whereas the current treaty, Nice, reduces it by a third from next year.

Some countries have reservations and argue that every country has a better opportunity of its commissioner having a decent portfolio if there are fewer posts.

Otherwise, smaller countries like Belgium and Ireland, they warn, are likely to end up being responsible for minor areas. The British, on the other hand, are nervous that anything the Irish win might excite their eurosceptics and jeopardise their fragile ratification of the treaty.

Europe Minister Dick Roche, who has been involved in bilateral meetings over the issues, says the Government can see the logic of their arguments.

But at the end of the day two-thirds of Irish voters in the referendum saw it as an issue. “The electorate are our masters”, he said.

The rest of the Taoiseach’s demands will be for legally binding guarantees Ireland will continue to retain compete power over its neutrality, taxation and socio-ethical issues like abortion.

But there will be no detailed wording on these guarantees, as officials will be asked to work on them over the next few months and report back later next year with the final version.

The negotiations are likely to involve the current, past and future presidency — the French, Czechs and Swedes.

But no result is expected before the European Parliament elections in June — something other member states will appreciate as they try to avoid the elections becoming a vote on Lisbon.

The Taoiseach will tell his colleagues at the summit that if the result of the negotiations satisfy Irish concerns, he would be willing to ask the Irish people to consider the issue again.

The Czechs deciding not to ratify Lisbon until February at least helps take the pressure off Ireland also.

On the follow-up to the Kyoto protocol on climate change, Ireland has succeeded in getting the concessions it requires — that forestry and agriculture will be reconsidered if the target for CO2 reductions moves up from 20% to 30% at next year’s international conference in Copenhagen.

Ireland will also be interested in seeing how it can avail of funding for infrastructure, environmental and new technology that the European Commission promises to bring on stream as quickly as possible.