DEVELOPMENT and anti poverty groups have called for major changes in the revision of the EU treaty to reflect the concerns of ordinary citizens.
The draft treaties presented for discussion by the heads of state in Dublin protect the interests of big business but do little for citizens and residents, a forum of non governmental organisations was told yesterday.
"The absence of any proposals to tackle poverty and social exclusion means that the 52 million European people living in poverty and experiencing social exclusion have been forgotten in the draft treaty," according to Mr Fintan Farrell, president of the European Antipoverty Network.
Mr Farrell said the treaty would have to deal with issues such as human rights, gender equality anti discrimination, poverty, environmental protection, the arms industry and trade with the developing world. "Failure to address these issues will mean that the same difficulties that were faced in ratifying the Maastricht Treaty will be faced by governments in the future," he warned.
The forum, which as organised by a coalition of organisations operating under the banner of "The Other Europe", was the highlight of a week of activities timed to coincide with the EU summit in Dublin. The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed and the National Women's Council also organised a "signing on day" protest yesterday to highlight the relative exclusion of women from the workforce.
A draft declaration prepared for the forum expresses concern at the lack of a social dimension to the draft EU treaty, and criticises the lack of consultation in the revision process. It suggests that the heads of governments should add an employment clause to the Maastricht convergence criteria for Economic and Monetary Union.
This would require a member state seeking admission to EMU to achieve an unemployment rate approaching 7 per cent or less, a condition which Ireland and most other EU states could not meet.
Dr Pauline Conroy of the European Anti Poverty Network said the draft EU treaty had been "asset stripped" of the few good elements it originally contained. The concept of social cohesion advocated by the founders of the EU had been abandoned, and the treaty was now dominated by concerns about money and crime.
