We must keep moving on

The Irish have cast their vote and, as we all know, they have rejected the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. This is a decision that may well have disastrous consequences if we don't find a solution and send a clear message that Europe is serious about reform.

Without in any way dismissing the importance of the message that the Irish voters wanted to convey, one must not forget that this vote was characterised by great apathy considering the low turnout and the fact that the debate in Ireland was dominated by issues that had nothing to do with the treaty itself. Adding to this, Joseph Daul, speaking as chairman of the EPP, said that "A dishonest campaign was carried out to create confusion and doubt. Untruths about taxation, neutrality and other issues destroyed all attempts at a normal informative campaign".

The result is a setback for all those who have the interests of the European Union at heart. It was an opportunity to have more transparency in EU decision-making. It was a step forward in achieving more political effectiveness and, so, a stronger democracy. But not all is lost. Both France and Germany have urged the EU to press ahead with the project. Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen said that that the EU must help to find a solution on how to move forward after Ireland's vote.

Taking into consideration and, as a clear example, the eurozone, we are already experiencing a two-speed Europe and, so far, this has proven to work in harmony. One must stress the fact that this project is now in its tenth year and it has reaped benefits for both parties on either side.

A country joins the eurozone only when it deems it right and is ready to accept the rules that govern this economic zone and, moreover, is ready economically. With Slovakia joining on January 1, 2009, we will have 16 countries in the eurozone and 11 that are still not members. No one will force these countries to join unless they are ready. Therefore, no one should force the Irish to ratify something they are not comfortable with.

If economically we already have a two-speed Europe, I can see no reason why we should not adopt the two-speed principle in other sectors.

"We must not forget that the European Union has experienced crises and times of difficulty several times before and, today, as in the past, we must keep a cool head to find the best solution, Hans-Gert Poettering, president of the European Parliament, told Parliament earlier this week. I agree and the rejection of the treaty text by one EU country cannot mean that the ratifications by 18 EU member states become null and without effect.

The European Parliament has made it clear that the Irish government, together with its European partners, will now be required to make proposals as to how to proceed from here. The meeting of the heads of state and government to be held next week in Brussels will have to address the situation after the Irish vote and will offer the Irish government an opportunity to take stock and put forward proposals. Like the majority of my colleagues in the European Parliament from nearly all political groups, I sincerely hope that the reforms can still happen before the 2009 Euro elections.

I fully agree with Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg in trying to overcome this hurdle while taking the Irish on board.

José Manuel Barroso commented that "The no vote in Ireland has not solved the problems which the Lisbon Treaty is designed to solve. The European Commission believes the remaining ratifications should continue to take their course. The treaty is not dead. I believe the treaty is alive". That too is food for thought. We must identify the common areas and strengthen them while at the same time try and bridge the divide on issues we don't agree upon. No problem is insurmountable; this Union of Nations has repeatedly proven that, through dialogue, one can go a long way.

All our eyes are now on Belgium, The Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Sweden and Britain. These countries should be putting the treaty to the vote in their respective Parliaments in the near future. It is only after this process is completed that we should make the necessary decisions that will affect the livelihood of about 500 million European citizens. As Mahatma Ghandi famously said: "I am sure that once again we will surmount this wave."

Mr Casa is a Nationalist member of the European Parliament.

david.casa@europarl.europa.eu, www.davidcasa.eu