Proposal to curtail referendum rule on EU issues

[FutureTaoiseach]

A proposal to take away the Irish people's democratic right to decide on matters such as taking away powers from our national institutions. They want the power to ratify EU treaties WITHOUT a referendum. If they try it, VOTE NO!! Even supporters of EU integration surely agree that the Irish ppl should have the final say.


http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/front/ ... ULEAD.html

The Government is proposing to amend the Constitution to allow for major future changes to EU rules, including the abolition of the national veto in almost all areas of policy over which the EU currently has power, to be made without a referendum.

Under the proposal, voters would be asked in the forthcoming referendum on the EU Constitution to give the Government freedom to sign up in the future to a wide range of such changes as long as they get the approval of the Oireachtas.

This would fireproof future changes made without referendum - including contentious moves such as the appointment of a European public prosecutor - from constitutional challenge.

The Taoiseach, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Attorney General and senior Government officials have briefed the Fine Gael and Labour party leaders on these proposals in recent weeks.

Their response is not yet known, although the Government is believed to be open to considering alterations to the plan.

The Government's draft, which has been seen by The Irish Times, if approved, would allow the State to agree in future to give up the national veto and extend the practice of majority voting in the areas of common foreign and security policy, EU financing, social policy, environment policy and family law.

It would also allow the extension of majority voting - replacing the existing requirement for unanimity - in the areas of criminal law, currently the subject of EU legislation.

It explicitly allows for the State to agree, for example, to the creation of a European public prosecutor, a development which has been strongly opposed by Minister for Justice Michael McDowell.

Mr McDowell has said this proposal is part of the agenda of a "small but well positioned group of integrationists" which would undermine the common law system in Ireland and the UK.

It also allows for a future decision for Ireland to participate in "permanent structured co-operation" in defence.

This would permit EU states to act together on military operations, but Ireland would retain the right to opt in or out of any such missions.

The most sweeping proposal is to seek approval to sign up to a clause in the EU treaty - known as a passerelle clause. This would allow the 25 EU leaders to agree that almost all matters currently governed by unanimity can be decided by qualified majority in the future.

These exclude taxation and the issue of a common defence, but include economic and monetary policy, criminal justice, immigration, education, industry, culture and a variety of other policy areas.

[idefix]

Even supporters of EU integration surely agree that the Irish ppl should have the final say.

I know at least one person who would disagree with you and would vote yes.

[green]

The Green Party has admitted that it leaked the document to the Irish Times.

[mjcoughlan]

What do the government think they're doing??

[FutureTaoiseach]

Even supporters of EU integration surely agree that the Irish ppl should have the final say.

I know at least one person who would disagree with you and would vote yes.

Hopefully the only one.

Passing such an amendment would allow politicians to ride a coach and horses through public opinion on various proposed EU institutional changes, including the existence of an Irish commissioner, possible decimations of our MEP numbers, and the remaining 10% of the original vetos we still have. It would allow them to reweight further our share of the Qualified Majority Vote on the EU Council of Ministers without consulting us.

I voted yes in the other votes since I was old enough (1998) to vote. The point is, whatever your view, the Irish ppl should have the final decision.

[CJH]

Why in God's name are they doing this? Jesus, if FF are willing to sell the country down the EU river, there really is no hope.

[FutureTaoiseach]

Why in God's name are they doing this? Jesus, if FF are willing to sell the country down the EU river, there really is no hope.

It's very important that ppl vote against this if it comes up. But it would be better if the idea is dropped altogether. Write to ministers and TDs warning them to oppose this anti-democratic idea.

[Trojanhorse]

I think once poeple hear what this is about no one going to vote for it..it's spitting on democracy

[Libero]

This, along with the malarkey over foreign divorce, is the kind of thing that will sink the EU Constitution vote.

While FT's opening sentence is incorrect, most voters won't bother distinguishing between the removal of veto and the extension of powers.

If the government has any sense, they will let this slide. If they'd even more sense, they would never have shown it to the Greens in the first place.

[FutureTaoiseach]

This, along with the malarkey over foreign divorce, is the kind of thing that will sink the EU Constitution vote.

I actually agree with Brussels 2 allowing divorce where one partner is out of the country for a year or so. I don't think that will sink the Constitution. I hope it sinks alright, but because of other reasons including the Charter of Fundamental Rights which gets legal effect in the Constitution. This constitution includes a ban on what it calls "expulsions". For all we know that could include a ban on deporting immigrants. A clear attack on national sovereignty.

Yes the divorce referendum was ultra close in 1995, but I expect it would have gotten through on a landslide now in more liberal Ireland.