Ireland's six-month presidency of the European Union ended on a high note this week. The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, was congratulated by his peers for successfully bringing negotiations on the constitutional treaty to a successful conclusion and finding a consensus on the appointment of Mr José Manuel Durão Barroso as president of the European Commission. The praise for a skilful, fair and effective presidency across an exceptionally broad canvass is well-deserved by Mr Ahern, his Ministers and their officials. It will be a credit to Ireland for years to come, assuming it is followed up constructively and intelligently.
This was Ireland's sixth time holding the office - an experience which showed in its planning and execution. Mr Ahern himself has been involved with nearly all the treaty revisions since the Single European Act of the 1980s. This gave him a special insight on responding to the impasse over the constitutional treaty he inherited from the Italians last January. His early realisation that agreement should be sought within these six months, even if it were not achieved, was the key to success. He had done the basic groundwork of clarifying disagreements and narrowing down differences with the other member-states by the time political circumstances changed dramatically in March after the Spanish elections. This methodical and careful preparatory work stood to the Irish presidency at the final stages of bargaining.
Even-handedness is expected from EU presidencies, especially by smaller states, but is not always delivered upon. Mr Ahern's negotiating skills made a real difference in the bargaining on the constitutional treaty, largely because he was seen to be fair and comprehensive by all the states involved. As a result, the concluding compromises made last month preserved the document's basic integrity. This will make it easier to convince voters it should be ratified. That will require a political campaign to advocate and explain it here and throughout the EU over the next two years.
Ireland brought forward the EU agenda on many other subjects during these six months. A great deal of legislation was passed by the European Parliament. Enlargement to take in 10 new members was sensitively overseen.Progress was slower on economic reform, a particular priority of the presidency. The EU's foreign policy, security and defence apparatus developed apace, as did its representative role and influence in world politics. The unseen work involving thousands of civil servants in hundreds of committees, which forms the bedrock of routine EU business, was conducted effectively.
In a more open and competitive world small states must be smart to survive and prosper. Ireland has exemplified this reality in recent years, in good part by taking proper advantage of our EU membership. This successful EU presidency has confirmed the pattern. Those responsible for it deserve to be congratulated.