Neutrality 'biggest hurdle to Nice yes vote'

The Chairman of the National Forum on Europe, Senator Maurice Hayes, today called for a plainly worded statement from the Government, endorsed by its European Union partners, that nothing it would commit to under the Nice Treaty would mean a departure from Ireland's policy on military neutrality.

The Forum’s second report said that fears of a threat to neutrality are the biggest stumbling block to getting the EU's enlargement treaty passed here. Last June, Ireland rejected the Nice Treaty by 54-46 per cent.

The Forum was set up by the Government as an independent body to stimulate debate on EU membership in the wake of the failed vote.

Forum members are also seeking reassurances from the Government that there is no plan to enter any military alliance for mutual defence, that it is not going to be a party to any plans to develop a European army, Mr Hayes said at the presentation of the report today.

Referring to the report’s conclusions on neutrality and security, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said today that "I can confirm that at the Seville European Council in June, I will be asking my European colleagues to approve a Declaration which responds to these concerns and which will provide assurances to the Irish people that our traditional policy of military neutrality is not affected by the EU Treaties.

"Subject to a suitable Declaration being agreed at Seville which addresses our concerns, it is intended to hold a referendum on the enlargement of the European Union in the autumn," the Taoiseach said.

Responding to today's report, Workers' Party President Mr Seán Garland said that: "We have seen many 'plainly worded statements' from the government and the EU before, but the only thing that would have recognition in EU law is a Protocol to the Nice Treaty expressly recognising Irish neutrality".

Recent opinion polls on a second referendum have indicated that one third of people will vote yes, a third intend to vote no and a third are still undecided.

Mr Ahern, in welcoming the report, said that: "It is clear from the Forum’s work just how important the EU has been to Ireland and how much being a full and active member of the Union is in Ireland’s national interest".

Speaking at today’s launch, Labour party MEP Mr Proinsias de Rossa said the report identifies key issues that need to be addressed in Ireland’s relationship with the EU, one of which is the social dimension of membership.

"For most Europeans a single market and a single currency are simply the tools we need to deliver social justice in a globalising economy," said Mr de Rossa. "It is clear that a significant proportion of Europeans are dissatisfied with what has been achieved to date on this front.

"They see jobs being lost, risks to their health from poor quality food and water and in a knee jerk reaction reach for national solutions when what we need are transnational solutions," he said.

Ireland is the only one of the EU's current 15 member states that needs a referendum to ratify Union treaties.

However, Belgium and Greece have also so far not ratified the Treaty. To become law, it has to be approved by all member states by the end of this year.

The EU hopes to complete accession talks with 10 candidate countries - Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Cyprus and Malta - by December.

Bulgaria and Romania hope to join later in the decade.