Speeches:

On EU Reform Treaty

Dáil Speech Wednesday 23 April 2008

My party has held a strong and robust debate on the European treaty, which has divided us in some respects.  Most are in favour of the treaty, but there is a substantial minority with significant concerns regarding various aspects of the document.  I am in favour of the treaty.  While it is not a perfect document, we are better served by critically engaging with the EU project from within by ratifying the treaty rather than by rejecting it and remaining outside the project.

In a sense, the choice is similar to that made by the Green Party on whether to participate in Government.  We did not believe that being in Government with a party that does not share all of our opinions would be perfect, but the choice has worked out well and we are slowly altering the course of the ship of state.  If we ratify the treaty, we will be slowly manoeuvring the European ship of state in the right direction.

There have been significant changes in the EU in recent years.  In terms of democracy, the treaty will take us in the right direction.  It will remove a substantial amount of power from the Commission and give it to the European Parliament.  While this will not occur in exactly the way we would have liked, it is a start in addressing a democratic deficit that has been part of the European project to date.

Whenever I go to Brussels, it is to engage in the issues I hold dear.  Irrespective of whether one likes it, the decisions on many issues - energy, farming or the environment - are being made in Brussels.  When I find myself in the Berlaymont or one of the offices close to the heart of Brussels engaging with the European project, I feel good about it due to the strong support for the type of issues espoused by the Green Party.  There is a considerable push in the right direction in terms of proper planning, the sustainable use of resources, renewable energy and so on.

There are many other issues.  For example, the EURATOM Treaty is, for many of us, the elephant in the corner of the European project.  A large nuclear industry is consuming more European taxpayers' money than renewable energy.  If we wish to alter this situation, we must do so from within.  The Lisbon treaty will make no material changes to the EURATOM Treaty, which promotes nuclear energy, but the Irish, German, Austrian, Swedish and Hungarian Governments have added a declaration calling for the revision of the EURATOM Treaty.  The best place to participate in this revision is at the forefront of the discussion on the EU.  While previous treaties refer to the concept of sustainable development, that concept is not clear.  The reform treaty will give it a higher profile and a clearer definition.  Sustainable development is listed in the treaty as one of the fundamental objectives of the Union in its relations with the wider world.  This is a new provision and a significant improvement.

Many around the Chamber have asked what is being done in respect of climate change.  Ireland is engaging in a considerable amount of domestic discussion and policy formation, but the EU is at the forefront of the global movement to tackle climate change head on.  A significant amount of research is being done and the emissions trading system, which is being pioneered in Europe, is showing the world how carbon trading can fit into world economies.  This is a crucial factor in the fight against climate change.  While I have been critical of trading our way out of the climate change issue, it is a useful economic instrument to achieve global buy-in as long as we do not use carbon trading as a way to avoid action at home.  It makes sense to the Americans and the Chinese.  In a short period, there will be significant buy-in.  The next US President will engage more deeply with the subject than the incumbent.  While one may argue that this would not be difficult, it is movement in the right direction.

The treaty incorporates the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which sets out a catalogue of civil, social and political rights and freedoms.  The legally binding nature of its provisions is a positive aspect of the treaty.  When particular well-funded individuals argue strongly against the treaty and refer to these provisions, I am more confident about arguing in its favour.

The treaty brings the EU closer to its citizens through the greater involvement of national parliaments and the directly elected European Parliament in the EU's decision making process, thereby bolstering the EU's democratic legitimacy.  It is a project in which I believe.  I am proud when I see a European flag above a building.  I am proud to be a Dubliner, an Irishman and a European.  The European treaty is worth supporting.