Ireland should resist moves towards more majority voting, MEPs say

IRELAND should resist any moves in the EU Council of Ministers towards more majority voting, two Irish MEPs have said.

Responding to an Irish Times report that the Commission is to recommend to this year's treaty changing Inter Governmental Conference (IGC) fir reaching restrictions on unanimity voting, the Leinster Fianna Fail MEP, Mr Liam Hyland, warned that such changes would have serious implications for Ireland on issues such as farm prices and defence.

The Dublin Green MEP, Ms Patricia McKenna, also deplored the Commission's support for strengthening Europe's defence commitments and for the merger of the Western European Union with the EU.

"If that happened," Ms McKenna said, "it would mean that Ireland automatically joined a military alliance, two of the members of which Britain and France have a nuclear capacity. That would drive the final nail into the coffin of Irish neutrality."

Ms McKenna also attacked the role of the Commission in the debate.

"Top Commission officials are paid exorbitant salaries and are not elected by the public. It is outrageous that they have a key role in deciding the future direction of the EU," she said.

Mr Hyland said that while he recognised the need to prepare for enlargement, it was "crucial that the spirit of the Rome Treaty remains central to all EU policy decision making and that the welfare of smaller and peripheral nations is safeguarded.

Both also attacked the Commission's suggestion that members states would not automatically be entitled to nominate a member of the Commission.

"Our presence on an equal basis with other larger nations at the Commission table has served Ireland well, as has our representations on the Council of Ministers," Mr Hyland said.

Ms McKenna, however, welcomed the Commission's desire to end the British opt out on the Social Chapter.