EU Summit

EU set to give Irish guarantees

Article published on the 2009-06-18 Latest update 2009-06-18 10:57 TU

An Irish flag flies next to an EU flag in front of the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels
(Photo: Reuters)

European Union leaders are meeting in Brussels at a summit that is expected to regenerate the proposed European constitution. The 27 leaders are set to grant a series of guarantees to Ireland in the hope that it will persuade Irish voters to agree to the constitution when a referendum is held, possibly in October.

Leaders are also considering whether to give current European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso the green light for a second five-year term in office.

The Irish rejected the Lisbon Treaty in a referendum last June. The Irish government, however, has asked for certain assurances including the sanctity of its military neutrality and its opposition to abortion before they hold a second referendum on the treaty.

"I am confident that we will get what we were promised," Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen said in a statement ahead of the meeting.

"Agreement on the binding guarantees shall put to rest a number of concerns which became key issues during last year's referendum," he added.

Of the other EU nations, only the Czech Republic and Poland must now complete the technical ratification, while a legal challenge is pending in Germany.

The nomination of Barroso for a second term as head of the European Commission, the EU's executive body, appears to be a formality as he is seen as the only viable candidate.

His candidacy would still have to be endorsed by the new European parliament, which sits for the first time in mid-July.