EU starts to pick up pieces after Irish "No"

By Paul Taylor

LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - European Union foreign ministers start picking up the pieces on Monday after Ireland's "No" to an EU reform treaty cast doubt on whether measures meant to improve the enlarged bloc's working will ever take effect.

The ministers are due to discuss upgrading ties with Israel, hear a report on the latest diplomatic drive over Iran's nuclear programme and review a troubled police mission in Kosovo, but the treaty setback seems bound to dominate the monthly meeting.

EU leaders will want to hear from Prime Minister Brian Cowen at a summit in Brussels later this week whether he sees any hope of winning a new referendum, perhaps after receiving special assurances on key Irish concerns.

For the moment, Dublin's 26 partners in the bloc are not taking "No" for an answer.

All other member countries have agreed to press ahead with parliamentary ratification of the Lisbon treaty, designed to give the EU stronger leadership, a more effective foreign and defence policy and a more democratic decision-making system.

EU officials say the hope is that if all other countries back the treaty by December, the Irish can be persuaded to try again in exchange for assurances on issues such as preserving a member of the European Commission for each member country and retaining national vetoes over tax legislation indefinitely.

Cowen said Dublin's EU partners must help otherwise the treaty cannot come into force, depriving the bloc of a long-term president and a stronger foreign policy chief with a real diplomatic service.

"I want Europe to try and provide some of the solution as well as just suggesting that it is just Ireland's problem alone," Cowen told public broadcaster RTE on Sunday.