PLANS to extend free travel to Irish pensioners living in Britain are being blocked by the EU.
The Government has already reached agreement with the British government on a reciprocal deal for free travel for all pensioners in the North and the Republic.
The major difficulty is the EU Commission'sconcern that to single out Irish pensioners in Britain for free travel in Ireland would amount to discrimination against other pensioners. - Irish Independent
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I think this title is slightly misleading. The Commission doesn't object to the idea in principle, but only wants to ensure that the Government doesn't discriminate.
How would it be discriminatory?
It is a social deal between two countries. Next they will say that countries like Germany who have put a block on the freedom to travel and work for citizens of new EU member states, in a blatant infringement of EU Treaties, discriminatory!
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As I understand it, and I have to admit all I've seen is what's in the papers, is that it would be discriminatory if the Government sought to provide free travel only for British-based Irish-born pensioners who receive a UK-pension and who travel to Ireland but not say a British pensioner travelling to Ireland from Britain or say a French national living in the UK and in receipt of a UK pension.
The Commission has criticised the restriction on free movement imposed by Germany and other Member States on the citizens of the eight new Member States that joined the EU in May 2004. However, when drafting the treaties, the Member States allowed for the imposition of such restrictions on a temporary basis and such restrictions were included in the accession treaties signed before enlargement took place.
"Give a dog a bone and leave him alone...."Originally Posted by woodie
"Pull the rope up jack I'm alright"
So these EU Treaties are worth piss when it comes to it. Forget equality its more like your the new boy so shine my shoes.
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No, - what these Member States are doing is fully compatible with the EU treaties signed by all sovereign Member States.
You seem to be suggesting the EU should override the wishes of sovereign states.
If these countries abolish their restrictions, (and I think they should) it will be as a result of decisions they take themselves.
Show me the EU treaty that the Irish people voted for which allows this blockade to occur!
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The enlargement agreements (as already mentioned several times on this board) allows for restrictions of labour til 2011 a referendum is not needed in order to for the EU to enlarge at the moment
Also enlargement and labour rules have not a lot to do with free travel to pensioners
"We know what to do, we just dont know how to get elected afterwards" Jean-Claude Juncker on how to fix the European economy
The maw of the Brussels bureaucrats returns to interfere in domestic matters. We should remember this when we next vote on an EU treaty.
I think the commision is right on this it is unfair for the british government to allow free travel to irish citizens but not other citizens of the EU
"We know what to do, we just dont know how to get elected afterwards" Jean-Claude Juncker on how to fix the European economy
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