Dublin presidency quick off the mark

Date: 20/06/1996

EU presidencies which take over the reins in the second half of the year always complain they get a raw deal because the intervening summer spell effectively wipes out a third of their tenure of office.

That is why the alphabetical order was juggled around a while ago to give those whose turn always came round in July a chance to play host for a “full” term from January until June.

Ireland, however, is well-used to tackling second-half presidencies and is not going to allow a breath to be drawn when the Italians hand over at the end of this month.

Within days, there will be a three-day informal Intergovernmental Conference gathering in Cork “to help the members to get to know each other informally”.

More importantly, perhaps, the event will quell rumblings of discontent in Cork city and its surroundings that the area has not in the past been given its fair share of the prestige when the venues are picked for these jolly gatherings.

Once again, the Irish summit is being held in Dublin and the main informal ministerial meetings will take place in County Kerry.

Meanwhile, the proposed pace of the Irish presidency is worrying some IGC negotiators, who have spotted that they are slotted in for a two-day session every week for the rest of the year under the current plans.

They have taken only partial comfort from the nonchalant reassurance that “it is always easier to cancel meetings than suddenly to schedule them”.