The entire European Commission is due to travel to Dublin Castle today to meet the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and other Government ministers.
The meeting is the first of many gatherings due to take place in Ireland during the Government’s six-month presidency of the EU, which began on January 1.
The EC delegation will be led by president Romano Prodi, who was recently rebuked by the Taoiseach for saying that a two-speed EU was inevitable if European leaders failed to agree on the text of a proposed EU constitution.