Ireland's future prosperity and economic security lies with the EU, Taoiseach Mr Ahern said before joining the Barcelona summit that opened today amid tight security.
Fresh from his visit to the United States, Mr Ahern said he would be pointing to smooth euro changeover as evidence of Ireland's commitment to the single market.
Mr Ahern pointed to the creation of five million jobs in the EU over the past two years but said 15 million jobs must be created over the next eight years.
The importance of research and development is shown by the EU's commitment 3 per cent of GDP to the area by 2010, Mr Ahern said.
He also reaffirmed his commitment to regulatory reform for small business. "Thriving small businesses are the foundation to a health economy. However, they can be crippled by over regulation. At Barcelona I will underline our commitment to regulatory reform."
With 100,000 workers from across Europe out in the streets of Barcelona on the eve of the summit, and more protests planned during the two-day talks, some 8,500 police were out on patrol as EU leaders converged on the summit centre.
The summit is aimed at breathing life into economic reforms agreed by EU leaders at the Lisbon summit two years ago - with the ambitious goal of making Europe "the world's most competitive knowledge-based economy" by 2010.
A long-awaited liberalisation of EU energy markets is high on the summit agenda, but critics are sceptical that the 15 members will transform words into action as they put national interests before the common good in a period of economic slump.
France, which is gearing up for presidential elections next month, is expected to hold out against plans to prise open electricity and gas markets to competition.
Additional reporting AFP
