IRELAND'S 15 MEPs split in all directions in yesterday's voting on the European Parliament's opinion on the Inter Governmental Conference (IGC) which opens in Turin on March 29th. MEPs from the Coalition Fine Gael and Labour parties clashed openly over neutrality.
Fianna Fail, Labour and Green MEPs feared that the passages dealing with the Western European Union (WEU) and its future integration into the EU could compromise Irish military neutrality and leave Ireland bearing some of the financial cost of military actions. But Fine Gael MEPs found them acceptable as they allowed for an opt out for neutral countries.
All four Fine Gael MEPs - Ms Mary Banotti, Mr John Cushnahan, Mr Alan Gillis and Mr Joe McCartin - voted for the full 15 page resolution. Mr Brian Crowley and Mr Liam Hyland of Fianna Fail voted against. They were the only two of the seven Fianna Fail members to vote. The two Green MEPs, Ms Nuala Ahern and Ms Patricia McKenna, voted against.
Mr Pat Cox of the Liberal Group also voted against because of Socialist Group amendments on the internal market and competition rules. A Cox amendment to open the way to a common policy for the arms industry in the EU was accepted.
Ms Bernie Malone of Labour abstained because the Government White Paper on foreign policy has not yet been published.
Defence and security were only one part of the resolution. Others dealt with an enhanced role for the parliament with more co decision and the right to elect the President of the Commission; European citizenship; employment policy; action against drugs and fraud; more openness; and a greater role for energy, environment and tourism policies.
The resolution also called for the parliament to be given observer status at the IGC. This is being opposed by Britain and France but supported by the other 13 member states. The resolution will now be sent to the EU Council of Ministers and other EU institutions, but is not binding.
The section dealing with defence and the WEU was the most sensitive for the Irish MEPs. The parliament has now voted in favour of the WEU being "gradually merged into the EU" but "with due regard for the sensitivity of certain traditionally neutral and non aligned member states".
The EU should take over "all the tasks of the WEU" including the so called Petersburg tasks dealing with peacekeeping, crisis management and humanitarian aid. But excluded would be the commitment under Article V to come to the defence of any other member state which was attacked.
In the event of a WEU military action, no EU state "may be obliged to take part nor, notwithstanding the requisite political and financial solidarity may it prevent a majority of member states from carrying out such action".
When the WEU does become integrated with the EU "as the European pillar of Nato", the neutral members of the EU "need motion in its establishment, even if they participate, with a special status, in the decision making process," the parliament resolution says.
Mr Cushnahan told the parliament that the absence of a cohesive foreign and security policy had resulted in the EU being "totally ineffective on the world stage". He supported the "integration of the WEU into EU structures" but welcomed the "flexibility" of the proposals for the neutral countries.
Mr Joe McCartin in an explanation of his vote "welcomed the proposals for a common defence policy through the EU" while "a small minority of states might not wish to participate in the short term".
Ms Banotti in her explanation said the future contribution of the four neutrals to foreign and security policies is "appropriately open".
Ms Malone openly disagreed with Mr Cushnahan's support for "integration" of WEU and the EU as it was "against what the Irish people stand for right now". The Government was in the process of producing its White Paper on foreign policy so it would be inappropriate for her to take up a position before the Irish people had a chance to express their views.
Ms Malone said later that she was disappointed that an amendment was defeated which she and her Finnish and Swedish socialist colleagues had put forward "whereby in the event of military action, no member state would be obliged to take part or finance it".
Mr Liam Hyland of Fianna Fail said the opinion was "deeply flawed and does not offer an appropriate or a suitably all embracing vision for the European Union". He strongly opposed the proposal to give the parliament greater control over CAP spending, as this would have "disastrous consequences for the agricultural regions of the union".