FG calls for a Europe-wide CAB

Fine Gael has suggested the establishment of a Europe-wide criminal assets bureau in its European elections manifesto. The party leader, Mr John Bruton, said such an organisation would operate on the same basis as the Irish CAB. "It would be able to go after assets anywhere in Europe on a fast-track basis with the aid of all the relevant legal authorities. The big difference it has made in Ireland is that it is able to freeze assets pending an investigation."

The manifesto, which was published in Dublin yesterday, also proposes that the State enter negotiations with the European Commission to allow travel within the EU for Irish citizens on a lesser document than a passport.

Reiterating party policy that the State should join Partnership for Peace (PfP), the manifesto adds that Fine Gael favoured the appointment of an ambassador to NATO, given that it would arise in any event as a member of PfP.

It says Fine Gael would give priority to tackling racism and xenophobia in Ireland and throughout the EU. Legislation should be introduced so that the State could meet its UN commitment on overseas development aid of 0.7 per cent of GNP by 2007.

"The EU should seek the creation of a debt commission to review international debt with a view to forgiving debt in countries where the burden of repayment is at such an unacceptable level as to be, for example, an infringement of human rights."

The manifesto expresses Fine Gael's commitment to the Geneva Convention on refugees and supports the introduction of common EU laws and procedures as a matter of urgency. Each EU state should accept a fair proportion of refugees so as to ensure that the burden is fairly shared.

On agriculture, it promises to seek major changes in EU policy, including the elimination of national labelling and its replacement by farm or district labelling.

"Fine Gael is unhappy with the current EU national labelling policy. Countries like France and Germany, our main markets, have enthusiastically adopted national labelling, which has had the effect of re-nationalising the EU beef market."