European Diary: As European leaders prepare to launch the final stage of negotiations on a constitutional treaty for the EU, diplomats stress that the Inter-Governmental Conference (IGC) that begins in Rome on Saturday should not be seen as a conflict between large and small states.
They point out that alliances over most issues reflect neither geography nor population size and that the EU's smaller states disagree on almost as much as they agree on.
If one question unites the small states, however, it is the principle of equality among member-states, a principle they believe should be reflected in equal representation in the Commission. The Government is especially forceful in its advocacy of the equality principle, reflecting a consensus within pro-European thinking in Ireland.
Many of our neighbours in the bigger member-states believe the equality concept to be absurd, but most avoid denouncing it in public lest they be seen as playground bullies. A new analysis of Franco-German relations, however, argues that the idea of equality among member-states is not only unrealistic but threatens the integrity of the EU.
The report, prepared by a high-level group of French and German diplomats, academics and journalists (and available in French and German on www.europartenaires.info-europe.fr) notes that small states have always had greater influence within the EU than their population size alone would justify.
"Anyone who denies, however, the weight of the large states or the legitimacy of the Franco-German relationship is playing with fire and threatens co-operation within the Union. Already, the gap between small states which, despite their small population size, will have a Commissioner and be represented with a seat and a voice in the Council, and large German federal states such as Bavaria and North-Rhine Westphalia creates tension within the Union," the report says.
The authors warn that, if such tensions remain, future governments in France and Germany could bow to popular pressure to defend their national interests more aggressively in the EU.
"In both countries, the temptation to seek special agreements outside the EU could become irresistible; this would not be conceived as an avant-garde, open to third parties, but as a hard core," they say.
The report recalls that the six founding members of the Common Market recognised the inequality of states by weighting votes in the Council and giving France, Germany and Italy two Commissioners each and the Benelux states one each.
The Nice Treaty gave each member-state the right to nominate one Commissioner until the EU grew beyond 27. Although the treaty changed voting weights in the Council to the benefit of the big countries, Ireland - with 0.7 per cent of an enlarged Union - would still have 2 per cent of the votes in the Council while France - with 12 per cent of the population - would have just 8 per cent.
A study by the Centre for European Policy Studies (www.ceps.be) suggests that the "double majority" calculation of a qualified majority proposed in the draft constitution would continue to benefit the smallest states, such as Ireland, as well as the EU's biggest countries.
Despite its call for recognition of the importance of France and Germany, which have a joint population of 142 million and pay 41 per cent of EU bills between them, the Franco-German paper acknowledges that Berlin and Paris must work harder to retain a leadership role in the EU.
"Leadership has a price. Objectively seen, both countries have lost ground politically and economically. Ignorance and arrogance towards other member-states, particularly accession countries, are misplaced," it says.
The authors believe France and Germany can form an avant-garde for European integration, with closer co-operation on defence, foreign policy, justice, home affairs and economic policy. Such co-operation could give impetus to European integration without inspiring anxiety in smaller member-states.
"The world needs more multilateral co-operation based on democratic institutions. France and Germany could serve the whole of Europe by making an important contribution to that," they conclude.
