Simon Busuttil
Untying the Irish knot
There finally seems to be light at the end of the tunnel insofar as the future of the Lisbon Treaty goes. Meeting in Brussels last Thursday and Friday, EU leaders, including our Prime Minister, agreed on a number of points to try and unblock the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, which was ratified by almost all EU countries but voted down in a referendum in Ireland last June.
The starting point for untying the knot was a reflection by the Irish government on the key reasons that led to the rejection of the Treaty - four key issues were identified.
Firstly, the fear of losing Ireland's influence in the EU because of the reduction in the number of members of the European Commission. Secondly, a fear of losing Ireland's autonomy in establishing its own tax rates. Thirdly, a fear of losing neutrality and, finally, a fear of unwarranted changes in values, notably with respect to the right to life and the family.
Whether these fears were founded is, of course, another matter.
I fully subscribe to the Irish view that each country should keep its commissioner. But, in all fairness, the principle of one commissioner per member state was already lost in the Nice Treaty back in 2000.
The Nice Treaty, in force, was approved in an Irish referendum, albeit at a second attempt, and already provides that, once the number of EU countries reaches 27 (which is now the case), the number of commissioners should be reduced to a number that is lower than the number of members. This means that, even without the Lisbon Treaty, the number of commissioners would still have been reduced.
Be that as it may, EU leaders have now agreed that the principle of one commissioner per member state will be retained indefinitely. This is good news not just for Ireland but also for other small countries, including Malta. Having a national as a commissioner goes a long way in ensuring that the people retain full trust in the workings of this important institution.
On the second objection, regarding taxation, my view is that fear was unfounded because the EU has no competence to set common tax rates. And this would not have changed with Lisbon. EU leaders nevertheless reaffirmed that nothing in the Treaty of Lisbon makes any change of any kind, for any member state, to the Union's competences on taxation.
On the third objection, relating to neutrality, again, fear was unfounded because EU membership does not jeopardise neutrality to the extent that a country wants to keep it. In Malta, we know something about this as we had obtained similar assurances.
In the event, EU leaders sought to reassure the Irish by spelling out that the Treaty of Lisbon does not prejudice the security and defence policy of member states, including Ireland's traditional policy of neutrality. So much for those in Malta who still fly, get red in the face when speaking about neutrality.
Finally, on family values, the Irish fears were, to my mind, also unfounded as the EU has no power to oblige its member states to introduce laws affecting values, whether on the right to life (abortion) or on family (divorce, same-sex marriages). The power to legislate on these issues remains squarely in the hands of national authorities, not the EU.
This same fear was also expressed in Malta prior to EU membership and this is why Malta had successfully negotiated a legally binding protocol, which protects our national legislation with regard to abortion.
In order to allay this fear, EU leaders agreed to guarantee that the provisions of the Irish Constitution in relation to the right to life, education and the family are not in any way affected.
Having obtained these guarantees, the Irish authorities agreed to seek ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon by the end of October next year. Clearly, this is likely to mean a second referendum in Ireland - the outcome of which is yet to be seen. However, it would be fair to assume that those who voted against the treaty last June for any of these four reasons would now no longer have any reason to oppose the treaty.
Should all go as planned, the Lisbon Treaty would be ready for entry into force by the end of next year.
That still leaves one point which is of particular interest to us, namely the number of seats in the European Parliament. Readers will recall that Malta had obtained a sixth seat in the Lisbon Treaty. But once the treaty will not be in force by next June, when the next European Parliament elections are due, we will still be electing five members, not six.
On this point, EU leaders agreed to increase the number of MEPs of the member states for which the number of MEPs was set to increase (there are 12 countries). This modification should enter into force, if possible, during the year 2010 on the understanding that the treaty itself would be in force by then.
Readers who would like to ask questions to be answered in this column can send an e-mail, identifying themselves, to contact@simonbusuttil.eu or through www.simonbusuttil.eu.
Dr Busuttil is a Nationalist member of the European Parliament.
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Nigel Lawrence
Dec 17th 2008, 20:42
By the Gods. I hope the Irish will still reject this dismal excuse for a "treaty".
c.camilleri
Dec 17th 2008, 20:32
Any Maltese sceptics this time going to Ireland to canvas against the Ireland's entry? Or now all of them have been converted? Time will tell.
Marvin Mizzi
Dec 17th 2008, 19:23
, EU leaders, including our Prime Minister, agreed on a number of points to try and unblock the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, which was ratified by almost all EU countries but voted down in a referendum in Ireland last June. Democtratic EU-- the people have no right to choose either --- the important thing is that there is the Lisbon Threaty -- we removed the word COnstitution an put threaty but nothing change what is implying is just lossing the identity of our nations to have a big Soviet Union of Europe with Brussels to dictate and the COuntries jsut nodding, Lets hope Ireland Votes no again and we have have the right to vote in the Elections in June show what we really think of the Lisbon Threaty --- NO -- to the European Super State but Yes to the EUrope of Nations!!!!!!
M. Mercieca
Dec 17th 2008, 16:06
The Irish government has betrayed its people
11 December 2008
Irish government ministers, including the prime minister, have been urging other countries to "isolate" Ireland by ratifying the treaties so the Irish could sweat it out and then change their mind.
http://euobserver.com/9/27282/?rk=1
Joe Cassar
Dec 17th 2008, 15:40
We used to have Irish Coffee, Irish Jokes and Irish Blarney.
Now we also have the Irish Referendum - which is a referendum which one keeps repeating until the desired result is obtained - then one stops.
Karl Muscat
Dec 17th 2008, 13:08
The EU itself is all about compromise.
This dates back to its inception in 1957, where 6 countries, principally France and Germany pooled their coal and steel resources to make Europe a better continent, firstly politically and than economically.
If you miss this point, you missed the whole principle behind the EU itself.
lgalea
Dec 17th 2008, 13:00
John Said
I think that you have made a mistake.
The eu is not democratic but dermocratic.
How else would it impose its one-size fits-all policies on all member countries whether they are good for them or not?
A country may need to contract its economy while another may need to expand it, but they cannot do so because of the eu dictatorship.
When a country's citizens decides in favour of what the eu petty dictators want then they accept the result. If they do not the eu petty dictators will do anything to force them to accept what they want.
If you are so sure that the Irish will not vote in favour of getting out of the eu, why does the eu dictators and their lackeys not hold a referendum about it?
This also applies to the local Maltese chickens and eu lackeys.
Why not have another referendum to see whether the Maltese citizens want to continue with eu membership?
Go on chickens and lackeys.
Hold another one if you dare.
albert spiteri
Dec 17th 2008, 12:33
The knot is not Irish in origin. It is Brussels born and bred. It is the EU that cannot stomach democracy at work. The Irish have decided. But the EU will have nothing of that. So they keep bombarding the Irish till they get what they want, which is: shoving down people's democratic throats a constitution that the the people have refused. "and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth". That was Lincoln in 1863. One wonders what the word "people" mean to today's Brussels fat cats.
John Said
Dec 17th 2008, 12:26
@lgalea
The Irish will be presented with a new text which excludes the points that they disagreed with in the first place. They rejected an offer and they are being presented with a new one which suits the needs they expressed by rejecting the first referendum. What better democracy in the world than this ?
I also disagree with you that Ireland is being "forced" into doing anything. They are part of the EU out of their volition and whilst they are enjoying the benefits, they also have to regard their obligations. They can leave the EU whenever they please.
However we all know that that no "No to Lisbon" campaigner or Eurosceptic can ever convince the Irish to leave the EU for obvious reasons.
J Micallef
Dec 17th 2008, 12:25
Why all this importance being given to the number of seats?
Ireland is a proud country, like us, with many characteristics that it wants to retain, while the EU is unfortunately nibbling at each country's uniqueness.
There has always been and will the fear that the EU is being manipulated by the 'stronger' nations, or their needs.
Is this Lison treaty some sort of utopia? Is it 100% guaranteed to favour Malta and its people? Is it possible that it did not need any amendments?
I was one of the first to vote all for EU membership, but I also want to vote for having the full story, not just part of it, explained to me.
lgalea
Dec 17th 2008, 10:34
Forcing Ireland to have another referendum shows the contempt and arrogance of the eu and its petty dictators towards the Irish people who have rejected the Lisbon Treaty which is simply the previous proposed Constitution which had already been rejected by the citizens of other member countries.