AHERN ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF IRISH NATIONAL FORUM ON NICE TREATY.

• Position: Bertie Ahern of Ireland - Brief Article

Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern announced that a "National Forum", representing civil society and the country's politicians, would meet on October 18 to seek a solution to the European institutional crisis created by the no vote in the Irish referendum on the Nice Treaty in June. Visiting Brussels on October 17 for a working meeting with the Commission, Mr Ahern said: "It is too early to say if an interpretative declaration to the Treaty is needed", referring to the model agreed upon in 1992 in Denmark on the Maastricht Treaty. "At the moment we do not envisage it", Mr Ahern said. The Irish premier who has not yet revealed the date of a new referendum but has admitted that "the ratification of the Nice Treaty is necessary before enlargement". "Romano Prodi, the President of the Commission said: "We cannot intervene in the Irish debate, which concerns the Irish people, but we look on with...