Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I attended the European Council in Brussels on 14 and 15 December. I was accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern. The conclusions of the European Council have been laid before the Houses.

The Council represented the culmination of a successful Finnish Presidency. Earlier during its term, there had been speculation that it would not succeed in forging agreement on the sensitive issue of Turkish accession negotiations where some member states held strong and opposing views. It is a tribute to Prime Minister Vanhanen and his team that agreement was reached before the European Council met.

The Council itself, like the Finnish Presidency, was a successful one, agreeing conclusions on enlargement, including Turkey's accession negotiations, on the area of freedom, security and justice, and on innovation, energy and climate change. It also adopted a number of important conclusions and declarations concerning the external relations area.

Prior to the Council meeting, we had an exchange of views with the outgoing President of the European Parliament, Mr. Josep Borrell. The Council took the opportunity to thank President Borrell for his valuable work in leading the European Parliament over the last two and a half years. I would like to reiterate that appreciation today. As the House knows, I met President Borrell both in Brussels and Dublin in late November. I would particularly like to thank him for his assistance in achieving official and working status for the Irish language. As Members know, Irish has had that status since 1 January and already a number of Government Ministers have availed of the facility of being able to address Ministerial Councils in our national language.

The Council welcomed the accession of Bulgaria and Romania as full members of the European Union on 1 January 2007, thereby completing the fifth round of enlargement. Ireland's Presidency played a key role in these negotiations and I know that our assistance both during the Presidency and throughout the accession process is deeply appreciated in Budapest and Sofia. For my part, I also welcome very much their accession and have expressed my hope that they will benefit as much from the Union's enlargement as Ireland did over three decades. I look forward to working with my Bulgarian and Romanian counterparts in the Council.

The European Council endorsed the conclusions adopted by foreign ministers earlier that week concerning the partial suspension of negotiations on Turkey's accession. The suspension was unfortunate but unavoidable. It resulted from Turkey's continuing failure to fulfil its obligations and commitments to the European Union under the Ankara protocol. We consider the decision taken was appropriate and proportionate, allowing the negotiations to continue in some areas but making clear to Turkey that it could not be business as usual until it meets its obligations.

While clearly this development marks a set-back for Turkey's accession process, I remain confident that this accession will take place in due course. Nobody is predicting an early conclusion to the process. However, having met the Turkish leadership and having visited the country, I am convinced that Turkey has a true European vocation and is making the economic and political progress necessary for accession. Turkish accession in accordance with the requirements for membership, which must be met by every applicant and every existing member state, will not only be in Turkey's interest but the interest of Europe and the wider region.

The Council also held a useful, general debate on the future enlargement of the Union which built on the Commission's communication on the enlargement strategy as well as its report on the EU's capacity to integrate new members. In the lead-up to the Council, the issue of enlargement capacity had become topical with a differing emphasis being placed on its significance by various member states.

The Council agreed that the principles of consolidation, conditionality and communication, together with the issue of the Union's capacity, would underpin the Union's approach to future enlargements, while at the same time repeating that the Union would honour its commitments to those countries in the enlargement process. We also endorsed the position of the foreign ministers on Croatia and agreed conclusions concerning countries in the western Balkans, where we encouraged Serbia to co-operate fully with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

The discussion took place in a positive atmosphere. The contribution of enlargement to the Union's success and its contribution to peace and prosperity was not in dispute. At the same time, member states stressed the importance of acceding countries being ready to accept the responsibilities of membership.

On the freedom, security and justice agenda, we had received a report on the implementation of the Hague programme for closer co-operation in the fields of justice and security prior to the meeting. The Council noted that good progress was being made but clearly there is more to do. We agreed, in particular, that the challenges posed by illegal migration needed to be addressed urgently and agreed a comprehensive migration policy. This policy will include improved co-operation among member states and with third countries in the fight against illegal immigration, improved management of the European Union's external borders and the putting in place of a common European asylum system by 2010.

There is, as the House is aware, a large number of European instruments and measures in the asylum area. These measures, such as the Dublin Conventions and EURODAC, have proved invaluable in ensuring the Irish asylum process is fair and free from abuses such as asylum shopping. We will continue to press at EU level for efficient and fair asylum procedures.

While there was some discussion in relation to the use of the passerelle in existing treaties in order to have more majority voting on police and judicial co-operation, there was a general view that a greater understanding of the implications of such a move is required. Ireland believes the best way to enhance our decision making in this field is to adopt the European constitution.

We received a short report by Prime Minister Vanhanen on Finland's consultations with member states on the European constitution. Chancellor Merkel then explained how Germany intends to take that area forward towards presenting a report to the European Council in June. She briefed the Council about her plans to invite heads of state or government to Berlin to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome in March.

Since the European Council, the German Presidency has held a first round of consultations with officials from the member states on the way forward. Irish officials at these consultations have made clear our strong attachment to the constitution as negotiated in 2004, our willingness to consider proposals for changes or additions to the constitutional treaty which would not upset the delicate balances within the text, and our intention to proceed with ratification when there is clarity as to the way forward.

The Council also adopted conclusions on energy, climate change and innovation, where we agreed to the establishment of the European institution of technology. These conclusions generally should be seen as building blocks towards more significant conclusions at the spring European Council, preparations for which are already underway with the Commission having recently published a comprehensive position on energy, including climate change. The issues of energy and climate change will feature on the Council's agenda for the foreseeable future.

On the external relations front, the December European Council adopted a number of important declarations, including on the Middle East peace process and on the situation in Lebanon. Following the crises in the region last year, there is strong agreement that a comprehensive settlement to the interlinked problems of the Middle East is more urgently needed now than at any time in the past 60 years. At its heart must be a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

I set out clearly the Government's overall approach on the political problems in the Middle East in my address in Riyadh on 15 January. The Minister for Foreign Affairs visited Israel, Palestine, Egypt and Lebanon last week. Along with our EU partners, we are ready to work closely with the different parties to try to promote real progress over the coming months. It is important the current violence between different Palestinian groups ends definitively.

The revival of a credible political process with the clear aim of achieving a negotiated two-state solution would have a positive effect across the region. In this context, the situation in Lebanon is particularly fragile at the moment. The EU strongly supports the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1737, which ended last year's conflict in Lebanon, and continues to give its full support to the Lebanese Prime Minister. Ireland is playing its part politically and through the involvement of over 150 members of the Defence Forces in the strengthened UNIFIL mission. The Government's practical support was emphasised on 25 January at the international conference on Lebanon, where we pledged an additional €2 million in assistance, bringing Ireland's total aid to over €5 million since the conflict. It is essential now that the political crisis in Lebanon be resolved through national political dialogue and that all states demonstrate clearly their commitment to the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon.

The European Council also addressed growing international concerns regarding Iran's nuclear programme and adopted a declaration reiterating its full support for efforts to find a negotiated solution to the Iranian nuclear issue. The declaration deplored Iran's failure to take the steps required by the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors and the United Nations Security Council. The European Council agreed that the failure could only have negative consequences for relations between Iran and the EU. Following the European Council meeting, the Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1737 on 23 December 2006, which imposed sanctions with regard to the Iranian nuclear programme and requested the IAEA Director General to report on Iran's compliance to the Security Council within 60 days.

Turning to relations with Africa, the European Council welcomed the first annual progress report on the EU-Africa strategy, initially adopted at the December 2005 Council. We reaffirmed the Union's commitment to continue working to transform this strategy into a joint EU-Africa strategy which might be adopted at the second EU-Africa summit. It is hoped this second summit can take place under the Portuguese Presidency in the second half of this year. The European Council agreed conclusions on a number of African countries.

The situation in Darfur is particularly alarming. The European Council called on the Government of Sudan to agree unequivocally to the UN three-phase support plan for the African Union mission in Sudan. A substantially strengthened international peacekeeping presence is clearly required to improve the situation on the ground. Following on this European Council discussion, on 22 January EU Foreign Ministers noted the EU's willingness to take further measures against those who obstruct implementation of UN support for the African Union mission.

In recognition of the serious concerns shared by EU partners regarding the situation there, the European Council reaffirmed the Union's commitment to the people and Government of Afghanistan and highlighted the key role already played by the EU in that country. It pointed to the clear interdependence of security and development. The EU will continue to examine ways to strengthen its engagement with Afghanistan, including considering the possibility and conditions for a potential civilian ESDP mission in the field of policing. The Council declaration followed substantial conclusions on Afghanistan adopted by EU Foreign Ministers on 11 December. These sought to provide greater focus for the EU's support for that country, as well as greater EU visibility.

The December European Council was an appropriate end to a successful Finnish Presidency. Looking forward, the next year will be an especially important one. In particular, we need, as Europeans, to find a way forward on the constitutional challenge facing the Union. I am confident, as we approach the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome next month, we will overcome our present difficulties on this issue and set the scene for many more years of progress.

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