Human rights group calls for No vote on treaty

THE EU will be engaged in "ever more aggressive military actions overseas" and economic development of poor countries will be blocked if the Lisbon Treaty is ratified, human rights organisation Afri (Action from Ireland) has said.

Afri is the first overseas development charity to formally call for a No vote in the treaty referendum on June 12th. The group yesterday launched a booklet outlining what it claims are the military and trade implications for the treaty.

Speaking at the launch of the booklet, Afri board member and UCD academic Andy Storey said the treaty increases the militarisation of Ireland and the EU, and advances "anti-development" policy towards poor countries.

"The treaty urges member states, including Ireland, to progressively increase their military capabilities...We see the military side of this treaty as being particularly damaging and detrimental." .

The treaty edged the EU closer to a common defence arrangement and widened the range of tasks that EU forces may engage in. The EU's military presence in Chad, which he said was "shoring up" the dictatorial government there, was a worrying indication of the future of EU militarisation.

"Under the terms of the treaty it would become even easier for the EU to help dictators in Chad and elsewhere suppress those opposed to their rule," he said.

The treaty also had major implications for the wider global development agenda, Mr Storey said. EU policy was "aggressively promoting" free-trade agreements and Article 56 of the treaty would prevent any third country from introducing capital controls in their trade negotiations with the EU. This meant poor countries would not be able to implement even temporary selective trade barriers in order to develop their economies.

He said some development organisations had chosen to concentrate on the positive aspects of the treaty. However, "the positive sides are not sufficient to outweigh the negative implications of Lisbon".