The Green Party has highlighted its concerns over European defence, trade rules and nuclear power in a new discussion document.
It avoids, however, taking an overall position on the proposed new EU constitutional treaty.
The document was published yesterday as a contribution to a review of the party's EU policy. The party chairman, Mr John Gormley, told a press conference that the party's members would decide the Greens' attitude to the treaty after a final version was agreed. "I don't know what the outcome will be at this stage."
Having campaigned for a No vote on the Maastricht, Amsterdam and Nice treaties, the party is keen to be seen to have an open-minded policy on the EU. Some party members are concerned the Greens should not be seen as an unquestioning part of a rejectionist strand including the National Platform, Sinn Féin and the No to Nice Campaign.
Mr Gormley said yesterday the Green Party was unique among Irish political parties in consulting its members on the constitution. It had held one seminar on the topic and would hold two more once the treaty negotiations were completed.
"The party will then hold a special EU constitution convention, where party members will have the opportunity to debate the issue and come to a conclusion by way of a referendum or vote." He said there were many on the defence working group of the Convention on the Future of Europe - on which he served himself - who wanted the EU to develop into a serious military force to compete with the US. "This argument appeals, obviously, to those on the left and the right, but in my view it is entirely misguided."
Ms Patricia McKenna MEP said it would be "difficult for us to support" the treaty "unless there are major changes to huge areas of the document". The adoption of a constitution would indicate that the EU was turning into a "superstate", and people would have to decide whether they accepted such a development.
Cllr Deirdre de Burca expressed concern over the proposed removal of the national veto on the liberalisation of trade in services in health, education and cultural and audiovisual services. "This means that even if Irish voters elected a government opposed to the liberalisation and privatisation of trade in key public services, it could be outvoted on the Council of Ministers."