EU enlargement depends on Ireland

On October 19th the Irish government will hold a second referendum on the Nice treaty. Irish voters – the only people who have been asked to vote on that treaty – voted 'No' to it in June 2001. The purpose of the treaty, agreed in December 2000, is to change the EU’s institutions so that it can cope with up to 12 new members. Unless every member-state ratifies the new treaty by the end of this year the Union may not be able to proceed with its plan to enlarge in 2004