Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern has said he is likely call a second referendum to ratify the European Union's Nice treaty in late October or early November.

Please give us the space to get on with our debate and stay out of our hair for a while

Pat Cox European Parliament president

Mr Ahern's announcement at the EU summit in Seville followed a declaration by European leaders guaranteeing Irish military neutrality.

In a special declaration, the leaders said the treaty did not impose any binding mutual defence commitments on Ireland.

Ireland's rejection of the treaty in its first referendum, in June 2001, was an embarrassing defeat for the government blamed on a poor public relations campaign.

Dublin was required to make arrangements for a second referendum to be held by the end of this year.

The European Commission has said that a second "no" vote is bound to delay the hoped-for admission of 10 new members to the union in 2004.

'No exit strategy'

Under the European guarantee, Ireland can only join military operations if its voters specifically agree to it.

Mr Ahern said the guarantee re-affirmed Ireland's attachment to the policy of military neutrality, adding that he would stress this point in the referendum campaign.

A repeat of last year's rejection of the treaty would lead to "an enormous and complex situation", he added.

"That is a position we don't want to find ourselves in... There is no exit strategy."

European Parliament President Pat Cox, himself an Irishman, welcomed the announcement, saying Ireland needed a "reflective pause" to consider the treaty's implications.

"Please give us the space... to get on with our debate and stay out of our hair for a while," he said, referring to visits by European leaders to Ireland for the last referendum which appeared to confuse voters.

The Nice Treaty was thrashed out at a European summit in the French city to pave the way for enlargement.

Ireland was the only country to put the treaty to a referendum. Italy has also so far failed to ratify it.

Only one in every three voters turned out in the June 2001 referendum, with 46% voting yes and 54% voting no.