Nothing to fear from EU enlargement, Irish PM says

There is nothing to fear from the European Union's imminent enlargement into a diverse bloc of 25 member states, Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern told a global audience Sunday.

Fielding listeners' questions on BBC World Service radio, Ahern -- whose country holds the rotating EU presidency -- dismissed a suggestion that the EU might be expanding too much, too soon.

"What is it all about? Enlargement is to allow people the opportunity to have a voice in Europe," he said.

"I think Ireland is a good example of this. We've four million people; I sit on the same table as Tony Blair, (French President) Jacques Chirac, (German Chancellor) Gerhard Schroeder, where I can put my point of view as a small country."

"It is a sharing and pooling of sovereignty. It allows people to enhance, I think, their own position and collectively work on all kinds of issues whether it is trade -- whether it is agriculture, whether it is education."

He continued: "People join because they want to join. Nobody is coerced into joining. It is based around freedom and solidarity of human rights, good governance."

"I think the European Community is a very good body. I think it's a very fair body. I think it's a collective body, (with) very good governance, good democracy. I don't think there's a fear for anyone."

On the proposed EU constitution, which EU leaders want to finalise at their June summit, Ahern argued the benefits of member states putting it to their citizens in referendums.

Ireland is among the few member states which consistently hold referendums on major EU treaty changes, and this past week British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he would be putting the constitution to a vote in his country as well.

"We always have referendums in Ireland (on EU treaty changes) so it's something we're very familiar with," Ahern said, according to a transcript of his appearance on the BBC World Service "Talking Point" programme.

"It has this value: that people understand European issues far better because if you've had a campaign, obviously the issues have been debated," he said.

"People have been canvassed by political activists... there's a greater understanding and an affinity" towards the issue at hand, he said.

While a referendum "does tie up politics," Ahern said, a campaign and vote on the EU constitution should be relatively easy, compared for example to the Maastricht treaty in the 1990s.

"I actually think the constitution is a far easier one to have it (a referendum) on, because the constitution is fairly clear what is it about," the prime minister said.

"It's a constitution that is simplifying, streamlining the rules of procedure, stating the competence of Europe."

"I think the European constitution is a far easier one for people to explain, to argue and debate and for people to get some passion about."