Message of welcome from the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, T.D.

Welcome to the website for Ireland's Presidency of the European Union. I hope that you find this website a useful source of information.

During Ireland's Presidency, the European Union will take on a whole new dimension when, on the 1st of May, the existing 15 Member States will be joined by 10 new Member States from Central and Eastern Europe. This historic event, bringing together the people of Europe, East and West, will be marked by a series of ceremonies here in Ireland and across Europe.

The accession countries have been engaged in a long and difficult process to become members. It will be a great privilege for me, as President of the European Union, to welcome these new Member States to the Union.

The next six months will be a busy time for Ireland. We will focus during our Presidency on the pressing business of the Union - economic reform, the justice agenda and the continued building of Europe's relations with its neighbours near and far. And throughout the six months, we will work to make further progress towards building consensus in order to reach agreement on the Constitutional treaty.

Some time ago, at Lisbon, the European Union set itself the task of becoming the most competitive economy in the world. A central priority for Ireland's presidency will be to drive progress on the key goals of creating more jobs, working for greater social cohesion and protecting the environment.

Our agenda is a demanding one. We will carry out our work with ambition and humility. We are proud to be hosting the Presidency at this important time in the history of the European Union and we are committed to working efficiently and effectively to serve Europe well.

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• Directory of the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the UN (1/1/2004)