The Taoiseach will tonight ask EU leaders at their summit meeting in Brussels to agree to complete negotiations on a constitutional treaty before the Irish presidency ends in June, following almost three months of intensive talks.
In a report sent to all EU capitals last night, Mr Ahern said he believed "an overall agreement acceptable to all delegations" is now achievable.
Tonight's meeting will be the first opportunity for the leaders of all 25 present and future member-states to discuss the constitutional treaty since a summit in December collapsed without agreement.
The Taoiseach will ask for confirmation that the political will exists to strike an early deal, while not opening detailed negotiations on the outstanding issues at this stage.
Irish presidency officials said yesterday that it was not certain the leaders would agree a date for the conclusion of negotiations. Some leaders have indicated that they do not wish to complete a deal before the European Parliament elections on June 11th, making an EU summit on June 17-18th the most likely date for an agreement.
In his three-page report on the negotiations, Mr Ahern said there was a consensus among member-states on the value of replacing the EU's current treaties with a constitutional treaty.
"It would introduce important innovations such as the simplification of legislative procedures and legal instruments, clarification of the balance between the Union and member-states, enhancement of the protection of human rights, and a greater role for directly-elected representatives in both the European Parliament and national parliaments," he said.
He said that it was widely believed that delay would make agreement more difficult to reach. He identified the composition of the European Commission, the number of seats in the European Parliament and the nature and scope of qualified majority voting as the most difficult issues to be agreed. But he emphasised that nothing in the draft treaty will be agreed until everything is agreed.
The Commission President, Mr Romano Prodi, yesterday praised the work of the Irish presidency in creating a real possibility that the treaty could be agreed before the end of June. "I would like to see a date. We are not going to be pushing the Irish presidency to give us a date but we hope the Irish presidency would be able to come up with some kind of timetable," he said.
The two-day summit begins late this afternoon with a discussion on the EU's response to the bomb attacks in Madrid earlier this month. The leaders will adopt a declaration on terrorism, pledging to co-operate more closely on security and appointing a senior official to co-ordinate anti-terrorism efforts among the member-states.
The President of the European Parliament, Mr Pat Cox, said yesterday that the summit should make clear Europe's determination that there will be no hiding place for terrorists.
"With substantial and practical co-operation, we must send a clear message from Brussels tomorrow that there will be no safe haven in our European Union for terrorists. No hiding place, no soft finance, no compromise in public policy response.
"Too many voices speak to our duty and to our conscience from their graves. We are called upon together to stand for freedom and democracy, to stand intact, resolutely against terrorism in all its forms," he said.
While the leaders discuss the constitutional treaty, EU foreign ministers will consider the future of the Middle East peace process after the killing of the Hamas leader.
Meanwhile, finance ministers are set to appoint a successor to Mr Domingo Solans on the executive board of the European Central Bank. Mr Michael Tutty, the Irish vice-president of the European Investment Bank, is one of three candidates for the post.