SF opposed to `militarisation of EU'

A drift towards the militarisation of the EU has been identified by a Sinn Fein candidate in the European Parliament elections.

Mr Arthur Morgan, the party's candidate for Leinster, said recent comments by the President-designate of the European Commission, Mr Romano Prodi, indicated an ambition to move further towards a federalist European super-state.

"Mr Prodi says that eventually Europe would need to develop its own army to intervene in situations like Kosovo and that the alternative is to be marginalised in the new world history," said Mr Morgan.

"I don't know about Mr Prodi, but Ireland is already part of a peace-keeping force and that is the United Nations. Sinn Fein will not support any moves to militarise the European Union."

Mr Morgan, from Omeath, Co Louth, is one of five Sinn Fein candidates contesting the European elections.

The party emphasises that it is the only one competing for seats in all five EU electoral areas in Ireland.

Mr Morgan last week raised the issue of the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant directly with the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, when he attended talks at Downing Street on the Belfast Agreement as part of the Sinn Fein negotiating team. "I told him how Sellafield is quite literally killing our people. I see it every day, people from my parish, county and country, both young and old, are victims of this environmental nightmare," he said.

Another candidate in Leinster, Mr Desmond Garrett, of the Natural Law Party, has called for all NATO members to close their embassies in Ireland.

He said there was no justification for the continued bombing of Yugoslavia "when there is a proven means of immediately resolving the situation without the use of force".

The NLP, which is the only party with candidates in every EU state, says peace could be created in Yugoslavia through the deployment of 7,000 experts in transcendental meditation and yogic flying "who would radiate peace throughout the region".

Other campaign priorities of Mr Garrett, who lives in Newbridge, Co Kildare, include a ban on genetically-modified foods and a reduction in taxes. This would be achieved by simplifying administration and implementing other Natural Law policies to reduce crime, sickness and unemployment.