Vol. 541 No. 2
214 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on whether it is premature for the Government to make decisions at this time on the way in which to proceed regarding the Nice Treaty, including in relation to the question of possible enlargement; his further views on the position of other member states that the Treaty of Nice is a necessary condition for the enlargement process; and his position in this regard. [20992/01]
At the meeting of the European Council in Gothenburg in June all the member states of the European Union, including Ireland, reconfirmed their commitment to enlargement. It was also indicated that the ratification process for the Treaty of Nice will continue so that the Union is in a position to welcome new member states from the end of 2002. It is the shared view of the member states, including Ireland, that the entry into force of the Treaty, which requires ratification by each member state in accordance with its own parliamentary or constitutional requirements, is necessary for enlargement. It is also the case that Ireland's position ultimately remains a matter for the Irish people to determine.
The Taoiseach and I have made clear to our European partners, to the candidate countries and to this House that the Government is determined to find a way forward which will allow enlargement to proceed as envisaged. As we have stated, this requires careful and comprehensive reflection on the outcome of the Nice Treaty referendum and on the various issues raised during the referendum campaign. One important element in this process of reflection will be the work of the National Forum on Europe, which it is hoped to establish shortly. While in the Government's view it would be premature to come to firm conclusions on how exactly to proceed, we are well aware of the timeframe within which decisions will require to be taken.
