As a result of the unsatisfactory response that Ireland, as a sovereign and friendly state, had received in the consultations and in frequent ministerial correspondence, we signalled to the United Kingdom our willingness to pursue our concerns through international arbitration. Ireland set out this position clearly at the June 2000 meeting of the OSPAR Commission in Copenhagen when we advised the OSPAR contracting parties, including the United Kingdom, that if a settlement could not be reached with the United Kingdom on access to the full consultants' reports, we would pursue the issue under the OSPAR Convention.