Brussels, 16/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - Irish Presidency sources have indicated that Mr Ahern intends to propose a single candidate for the Presidency of the Commission. He has held enough consultations to get a "clear idea" of the candidate with the greatest chances of being supported by all. This would apparently not be Jean-Claude Juncker: given the "clear and oft-repeated" assurances that he is not to stand, the Presidency is "disposed to accept" that this option is definitively ruled out, according to these sources. Another option is "absolutely out of the question": that of Mr Ahern himself standing Even though the Treaty of Nice would allow this, Mr Ahern intends to seek consensus.
On the Constitution, the Presidency says that: two new documents will be published on Wednesday at 7pm (on Internet): one on the points which are, a priori, settled (including the scope of qualified majority and the Preamble), and the other proposing solutions for outstanding issues (definition of qualified majority, composition of the Commission, seats in the EP, the Charter and a range of economic issues: notably, the procedure to extend the euro zone, and the role of the Commission in the excessive deficit procedure.