When governments want to censure other governments in a diplomatic way or when executives seek to criticise subordinates without starting a row the method often used is to pass a motion "taking note" of such and such. This is the phrase some Eurocrats say Ireland may encounter at the summit marking the end of the sixmonth Portuguese Presidency in Oporto in 10 days' time. Although our finances don't feature on any agenda, some observers are speculating that the slow but steady rise in Irish inflation will cause our continental colleagues to pass some motion along the lines of "in accordance with our economic guidelines and the need to keep inflation under strict control we take note of the Irish situation where it is hoped a special effort will be made in this regard".
But this, should it arise, will be very much an aside. Overall, the Oporto summit is unlikely to be of much importance, as the conclusions of the IGC, the Inter-Governmental Conference, will not be on the table until the French summit in Nice in December. At the IGC, our representative Noel Dorr is battling away on the issue of the number of commissioners and parliamentary seats allotted per country and the weighting of votes in the council. Enlargement means these issues must be resolved and the outcome is of immense importance to Ireland.
Overall, Oporto is being viewed as a stocktaking summit. Discussions, where our team will be led by the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, and ministers Brian Cowen and Charlie McCreevy, will include a human rights charter and the commitment of troops to a rapid reaction force. But one item is set to dominate although it doesn't feature on the agenda at all. It is Austria. Although that country continues to operate in the normal way at EU meetings albeit outside the room, where deals are done and friends are needed, three members - France, Germany and Belgium - are continuing to operate their boycott in protest at rightwingers' participation in government. Austria is determined to get the sanctions overturned and it is predicted the matter will dominate the summit.
