Ireland could be pushed to the margins of the European Union if it continues to oppose the Nice Treaty, according a report by an Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs.
Mr John Bruton, who prepared the
Report on the European Union
for the all-party Dáil committee, said there was a risk that "circumventing Ireland’s concerns would become a priority in Europe" if the State failed to ratify the Nice Treaty for a second time.
Speaking at the publication of the report today, Mr Bruton said other member states could try to "go around Ireland" if it were perceived that it was impossible to get anything through a referendum here.
The report was prepared by the committee to address the issues arising from the Nice Treaty referendum as well as Ireland’s future role in European defence policy and Europol, the system of decision-making in Europe and the future role of the European Commission.
The report also considers the single currency and the implications of conflict within the Commission on economic policy guidelines - particularly in relation to fiscal policy.
The former Fine Gael leader said the report was not "prescriptive" but was intended to present material for debate not only in Ireland but other member-states.
A central issue for Ireland in the last referendum was European defence and the question of neutrality. The report highlights the Helsinki Summit statement, which says the Rapid Reaction Force does not involve the creation of a European Army, and that there is no commitment to a mutual defence force in the Nice Treaty or another EU treaty.
The committee's chairman, Fine Gael TD Mr Bernard Durkan, said he believed the contents of the report would contribute to a "total, full and wholesome debate".