A new European Parliament will be elected in June 2004. Its first job will be to vote on a nominee President for the new European Commission, whose first job will be to introduce a five year programme and appoint a new team of Commissioners. Considerable energy and focus will be required in respect of any new capacities this new Europe may derive from constitutional change. The Irish Presidency arises at an extraordinary moment characterised by a conjunction of Europeanness, growth and development of a scale and nature we have not seen before. I am so pleased, as an Irish person, that this happy coincidence should prevail from next January.