9. April 2004

The Taoiseach and President of the European Council, Mr. Bertie Ahern, has written to all Heads of State or Government in the Intergovernmental Conference asking them to take a "positive and focussed approach, concentrating on those questions which are of real significance".

In his letter, Mr. Ahern thanked his colleagues for the "constructive and focussed" work at the Spring European Council when it was accepted that agreement on the Constitutional Treaty should be reached no later than June.

"We now have a joint responsibility to our citizens to ensure that we deliver on this commitment. This will require us to work together in a spirit of compromise and of flexibility," writes the Taoiseach.

In a further effort to secure agreement on the majority of the outstanding issues, Mr. Ahern has asked the President of the European Council of Ministers, Mr. Brian Cowen, to arrange for the IGC at Ministerial Level to carry forward the necessary work.

"The principle that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed must be respected. However, it is essential that we make the maximum possible progress in advance of that point. In particular, I want as many issues as possible to be effectively resolved before the final session of the IGC, to ensure that only a small number of highly sensitive points remain open for discussion and decision at our level," wrote Mr. Ahern.

At the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 26 April, Minister Cowen will brief his colleagues on a timetable for discussions at Head of State level and in relation to future discussions among Foreign Ministers.

In his letter, which was also sent to the President of the European Parliament, Mr. Pat Cox and the President of the European Commission, Mr. Romano Prodi, the Taoiseach wrote,
"I ask you to ensure that your IGC team takes a positive and focussed approach, concentrating on those questions which are of real significance to you and aiming to reach constructive compromises. I assume and expect that no concerns not already signalled will be raised."

In addition, Mr. Ahern wrote that he is very much open to continuing further bilateral discussion at both political and official levels.
"In particular, I intend to make full use of my pre-European Council tour of capitals to discuss IGC issues directly with you.

I strongly believe that, so long as we continue to work together and in the right spirit, we can by June agree on a Constitution for Europe which we will all be able strongly to recommend to our parliaments and people," the Taoiseach told colleagues.

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