Brussels, 09/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - Ireland's Foreign Minister Micheal Martin has confirmed that his country will, at Thursday's European Council, be calling for “legally binding assurances” on the four specific concerns that seem to have had a decisive impact on the negative outcome of the Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in June: - composition of the European Commission, taxation, neutrality and ethical issues (especially abortion). “If the Lisbon Treaty is to enter into force, it requires the agreement of all member states. If that is to be secured, the concerns of the Irish people will have to be addressed in a clear and convincing manner by means of legally binding assurances”, Mr Martin said on Monday evening when addressing the European Policy Centre (EPC) in Brussels. “We need to be able to reassure our people that their genuinely held concerns have been taken on board by the other member states”, the minister said. Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen also said in Dublin on Monday that he was going to Brussels in the hope of obtaining a “political agreement” on assurances “both in substance and in a legally robust manner” compared to the Irish fears regarding the treaty. The question will be discussed by EU27 heads of state and government as soon as the European summit on Thursday opens, at 3.30pm, with the (exceptional) participation of the president of the European Parliament, the EU French Presidency announced.
Dublin's insistence on legally binding assurances systematically rules out all possibility of resorting to simple political or interpretative declarations which, approved by the European Council, could be annexed to the Lisbon Treaty without modifying its content strictly speaking and therefore without having to begin the ratification process all over again, a process that has already been closed in 25 member states. Ireland hopes these assurances will be given in the form of “protocols” to be included in the treaty (after the Danish model, with reference to the four “opt-outs” obtained by Denmark before the second referendum on the Maastricht Treaty in 1993). It is imperative that these protocols receive further ratification by all 27 EU states (something which the countries that have already ratified the treaty categorically refuse). One possibility currently being examined in Dublin and Brussels is that of adding protocols to the treaty at the first opportunity, for example during the next EU enlargement (Croatia in 2010 or 2011?), which at any rate will require further ratification of the treaty amended by all member states.
Although the Irish government has obtained what it wanted, it is expected to undertake to hold a new referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in 2009, most likely in the autumn. On Monday, Mr Martin stressed the fact that no decision had yet been taken on this subject and even less on the timetable. He nonetheless said Ireland was perfectly aware of the “important European deadlines” in 2009 (European elections in June, renewal of Commission in November) and that his government would do everything it could so that uncertainty over the legal base (Nice Treaty or Lisbon Treaty?) is “kept to a minimum”. Even if proven right on all his claims, it is practically to be ruled out that Brian Cowen will give a date - even a tentative date - this week for the new referendum. The most optimistic scenario is therefore that the European Council will give its political agreement to assurances called for and that the Irish government will politically undertake to do everything it can so that the Lisbon Treaty may take effect on 1 January 2010 at the latest, which will mean that the twenty-seven members of the EU must adopt transitional arrangements for renewal of the Commission (see related article below).
On Monday evening, Mr Martin stressed the fact that the people of Ireland remain among the most positive in Europe about the EU, with recent polls showing that 70% of the Irish believe EU membership is a good thing, and with only 8% speaking against. The referendum campaign on the Lisbon Treaty has not shaken Ireland's belief in the EU. On the contrary, financial turmoil over recent months has even strengthened it, he said. “These events underlined the critical value of our membership of the Union and the eurozone and the access we enjoy to the support of the European Central Bank”, the minister said. (H.B./transl.jl)