The Amsterdam Treaty lacks a unique selling point, and there is a consequent lack of knowledge among Irish people about it, the EU Commissioner, Mr Padraig Flynn, said yesterday. Speaking at the centenary of Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, he said: "Yet Amsterdam signals a willingness of the EU to tackle the issues of concern to citizens."
He said this emerged strongly in the new chapter on employment echoing the EMU convergence process and correcting imbalances in the way economic policy was being set. The whole area of social policy had been enhanced by the treaty, and similar progress had been made in the area of crime and policing while provision had been made for better inter-governmental information in the fight against terrorism, organised crime, crimes against persons and children, drugs and arms trafficking and international fraud and corruption.
The Commissioner added that there were new commitments on liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and basic freedoms and a special provision for action against discrimination based on sex, racial or ethic origin, religion and belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.
He said Amsterdam did not establish a common defence policy despite what certain people might say. "What the new treaty does establish are some very sensible mechanisms by which the member-states can co-ordinate and help one another in areas such as peacekeeping, humanitarian and rescue tasks."