Nail-biting wait in Brussels as EU officials await Irish vote

Jun 13, 2008, 11:40 GMT

Brussels - Rising tension among European Union officials was palpable in Brussels on Friday as early tallies suggested Ireland might reject the EU's Lisbon Treaty in a referendum.

The head of the EU executive, Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, was only expected to issue a statement once the official results had been announced later in the day.

His spokesman, Johannes Laitenberger, declined to respond to questions on the Irish vote, noting merely that the treaty's ratification was a competence of member states.

Asked whether the European Commission had done enough to put its message across that the treaty is good for the citizens of Ireland, Laitenberger said, 'It would not be appropriate at this point in time, with the count still under way, to enter into this kind of debate.

'Suffice it to say that the European Commission has done what it could and what it should,' he added.

Early tallies out of Ireland showed a very strong showing for the no vote in rural and working class areas.

Middle class and urban areas were generally more supportive of the treaty, but not in the quantities normally expected in referendums on EU issues.

The Lisbon Treaty is designed to streamline the running of the 27- member-bloc. It was agreed after years of intense wrangling and was meant to replace the failed EU constitution that was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005.

To date, 18 national parliaments have already given their backing to the treaty. However, an Irish no would seriously damage the prospects of the treaty coming into force in early 2009, as planned.

Member states will have a first opportunity to discuss the results of the referendum during a meeting of foreign ministers scheduled to take place in Luxembourg on Monday and Tuesday.

The institutional discussions would likely overshadow planned ministerial talks on other important issues such as the deployment of an EU mission in Kosovo, the possible lifting of Cuban sanctions and the difficult situation in Zimbabwe and Myanmar.

'All of the topics on the agenda deserve the ministers' full attention,' noted a source from the Slovenian presidency of the EU.

The foreign ministers' meeting was also due to prepare the groundwork for Thursday and Friday's EU summit in Brussels.

Heads of state and government had planned to use that meeting to tackle key issues such as terrorism and rising food and oil prices.