The Lisbon Treaty should be supported. It is time for the Greens to move beyond the politics of opposition, argues Green Party Senator Déirdre de Búrca
The Green Party was the political party of choice for me because of its internationalist identity. Its motto - "think global - act local" - reflected the fact that many of today's critical political issues transcend national borders and call for new political responses.
Despite successsfully co-operating with its fellow European Green parties and other Green parties internationally over the past two decades on environmental and social justice campaigns, the Irish Green Party has been perceived as "anti-European" because we have campaigned against successive EU treaties since the Single European Act of 1987.
In recent years, newer members joining us have questioned and challenged this perceived anti-European identity. Many younger members have travelled and worked widely in Europe, and are committed Europeans.
The positive global leadership exercised by the European Union in areas of concern for the party such as climate change, human rights, development aid and international conflict prevention has caused a re-examination of our position on the EU among some sections of the party.
In fact, different strands of thinking in relation to the EU now co-exist within the Irish Green Party, as no doubt also within other political parties, and these were aired during the Green Party's internal debate on the EU constitution in 2004. Although the French and Dutch No votes in 2005 meant that the party did not vote on that treaty, members of our parliamentary party and sections of our membership expressed their wish for change in the party's traditional position of opposition to EU treaties.
So where are we now?
A two-year period of reflection followed the rejection of the EU constitution, culminating in a consensus among EU governments on the content of the Lisbon Treaty. The Green Party is in government and, following an information campaign within the party, we will hold a special convention on the treaty this Saturday. After a balanced debate on the arguments for supporting or opposing the treaty, members will be asked to vote on the issue.
As with previous special conventions on major internal party decisions, I expect an active and passionate debate.
I am proud to belong to a party that believes in open and democratic engagement with its members on major policy decisions.
This particular convention will present us with some challenges. A decision by members not to support the treaty will certainly raise questions about our relationship with our Government partners. Yet the party is consulting its members fully and giving them the opportunity to make a democratic decision.
As a member of the Green Party's Policy Group on Europe, and as its European affairs spokeswoman, I have spent much time thinking about the Lisbon Treaty. Having been active in opposing previous EU treaties, I have not found it easy to arrive at a final position.
It seems to me that the fundamental debate about being "for" or "against" the European Union is over. The EU exists and is a significant and important player on the international stage. It has pioneered a form of political and economic co-operation between its member states that has brought 50 years of peace to much of Europe, unimaginable during the horrific first and second World Wars.
The EU has been responsible for much of the progressive employment and equality legislation implemented in Ireland. Many of the important advances in Irish environmental protection have been a result of EU environmental directives.
Ireland's EU membership has contributed significantly to its recent economic prosperity. Much American foreign direct investment came to Ireland because it is seen as a gateway to the European Union.
I believe the question confronting both Green Party members and the Irish public now is what kind of EU they want, and whether they believe the provisions of the Lisbon Treaty will be good for Ireland and the EU, or not.
While it is difficult to provide a complete analysis of a complex and wide-ranging EU treaty, I believe the Lisbon Treaty is primarily about three important areas of change.
First, it is about reforming the main EU institutions to facilitate effective decision-making in an expanding Union.
Second, it strengthens the EU's external identity and capacity for international action through the formal creation of a single legal personality for the EU, setting up an EU External Action Service, and establishing the offices of an EU President and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Third, the Lisbon Treaty incorporates the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in a Protocol. The charter sets out and gives a new legal basis to the fundamental rights and freedoms of EU citizens.
These rights include the right to life and integrity of the person, the prohibition of torture, a guarantee of freedom of thought, conscience and religion, the right to education, and the right of equality among men and women.
There are many other important provisions of the Lisbon Treaty, but constraints of space allow me to mention only a few. One is the mechanism which allows member states to withdraw voluntarily from the Union on agreed terms, if it believes its membership of the EU is no longer in its national interest.
Another important commitment is that the EU will "tackle climate change", a policy area which is a top priority for Green Party members and supporters.
Two other provisions which would mobilise greater democratic involvement in EU affairs are the provision for a citizens' petition to request the introduction of new legislation, and the provision on subsidiarity which would strengthen the hand of national parliaments in curbing EU legislative excesses.
There are aspects of the Lisbon Treaty that remain areas of real concern for me. The continuing democratic deficit of the European Union is only partially addressed by the treaty.
A supranational polity such as the EU presents significant challenges in terms of facilitating traditional forms of democratic engagement by citizens.
However, democracy is a core value of the EU. Furthermore, if the Union does not address the legitimacy crisis which has grown as it has expanded, this may prove fatal when it needs the support of its citizens to implement critical decisions and policies.
The democratic deficit will not be cured overnight, but needs to be addressed in a sustained and serious way.
Some of the military and defence provisions of the Lisbon Treaty also cause me concern. Given the present democratic deficit, I do not believe that the development of a much greater military capacity on the part of the EU is in the interests of its citizens.
I also believe that the strength of the commitment in various provisions of the Lisbon Treaty to market liberalisation and undistorted competition has the potential to undermine the European social model and to threaten the continued existence of high-quality, universally accessible public services within the EU, including health and education.
The preferential position given to nuclear energy within the Euratom Treaty, attached by protocol to the Lisbon Treaty, is also a matter of concern.
On balance, and despite these reservations, I have decided to support the treaty. I believe the Green Party needs to move beyond the politics of opposition if it is to exercise the political influence that it should do, both in this country and in Europe over the coming years.
In an era of accelerating globalisation, of climate change, peak oil, humanitarian crises, international migration and human trafficking, I believe that a strong and effective European Union has an important role of global leadership.
I want to see the Green Party across Europe push for the continuing reform and improvement of the EU from within.
Déirdre de Búrca will be the introductory speaker at Saturday's conference which will hear from three pro- and three anti-Lisbon Treaty speakers before a vote is taken whether the party should support the Yes campaign at the forthcoming referendum