Brussels, 24/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - In between the two EU summits this week (one with Japan, which has just been held in Tokyo, and the other with the United States, which will take place in Ireland this Saturday), the President of the European Council, Bertie Ahern, is continuing his telephone consultations with his EU colleagues on the issue of the Presidency of the Commission.
However, the decision to hold a European Council next Tuesday (29 June) will not be confirmed before the weekend, or next Monday, because an announcement to this effect would mean that there is consensus on one name. However, "we are not there yet", said Irish Presidency sources on Thursday. On 28 June, the day before the likely extraordinary European Council in Brussels, the European leaders will all be in Istanbul for the NATO summit, "which, obviously, will allow Mr Ahern to be in contact with all the interested parties on the ground", even though "no official meetings to discuss the Commission Presidency are planned", explained the Irish Presidency.
In the meantime, the Elysée Palace denied that Jacques Chirac dined with or met Peter Sutherland on Wednesday evening. Mr Sutherland's name has been raised as a potential candidate to the Presidency of the European Commission (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.4). The Irish Times stated on Thursday that Mr Sutherland had been received on Wednesday evening by the French President, who is said to have told him that France opposed his candidacy. Now that Mr Verhofstadt has pulled out of the race, France has no other favourites, and will decide when other candidates make themselves known, said an Elysée spokesperson.