Cowen states commitment to EU integration process

Ireland should not fear EU integration, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, argued in a speech in Portugal last night. The tone was markedly warmer to the process than recent pronouncements by fellow ministers, including the Tanaiste and the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands.

Speaking to the Irish-Portuguese Friendship Society in Sintra, Mr Cowen reiterated a strong Irish commitment to enlargement of the Union. He insisted it would bring a new enthusiasm which would reinvigorate it, a new dynamic for economic growth and the prospect of new alliances for the smaller member-states.

In a move that will be welcomed by the acceding states, he also called for the Nice summit in December "to give a very clear and positive signal to our applicant friends that their efforts will be rewarded in the foreseeable future". That will be read as code for Irish backing for the idea that the summit should indicate how soon the first accessions can be expected, or at least how soon negotiations should be concluded.

Mr Cowen argued that "we should not be afraid of the word integration".

He said: "When we say integration we do not mean centralisation or federalisation. Rather we mean further developing and improving the manner in which we Europeans freely co-operate and work together, while respecting our diversity."

Ms de Valera, in Boston on September 18th, had complained of Brussels directives which "can seriously impinge on our identity, culture, and traditions".

Mr Cowen argued for a balance between common policies where they served the common good and retention at national level of power over issues dealt with more appropriately there.

But he stressed that the nature of integration should also be shaped by the need for democratic legitimacy; hence Ireland's insistence on the retention of its commissioner and domestic control of taxation. "The link between taxation and representation is fundamental to our democracies," he said.

"Thus when we argue against the centralisation of taxation decisions, we are not only arguing for functional flexibility, but are also seeking to protect European institutions from alienating themselves from popular support."

The full text of Mr Cowen's speech is available on The Irish Times website at www.ireland.com