Time for full facts on Lisbon Treaty
Tuesday May 13 2008
With all the misinformation on the Lisbon Treaty, facts on how the treaty would affect Irish people's pay, say, and way of life are needed more than ever.
Fundamentally amending two existing treaties -- the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty Establishing the European Community -- passing Lisbon would have a number of ramifications.
- It would copperfasten a ruling by the EU Court of Justice making it illegal for governments to enforce pay standards higher than the minimum wage.
- The treaty would enable the EU Court of Justice to rule against Ireland's competitive 12.5pc company tax rate -- which attracted multinationals here -- if it decided the tax was a "distortion of competition".
- Lisbon would give the EU the power to impose its own taxes directly on us.
- It would effectively give us an EU constitution which would make the Bunreacht na hEireann null and void in areas of EU law.
- Passing Lisbon would enable a power-grab by the bigger states for control of the new post-treat EU. The Lisbon Treaty would double Germany's say on the EU Council of Ministers, from 8pc to 17pc, while Ireland's voting weight would be more than halved to 1pc.
- It would remove any Irish voice from the EU Commission.
- A vote for Lisbon would establish a federal EU state. Bearing the same name, this new EU would be fundamentally different. Lisbon would turn Ireland into a province within this new union, and would spell the end of Ireland's position as an independent sovereign State on the international stage.
- We would be obliged to swear our allegiance primarily to a new post-Lisbon EU, over and above our loyalty to Ireland.
- It would give the EU's Court of Justice the power to decide our rights as EU citizens, including such matters as the right to life, the right to strike, the rights of the child, the right to fair trial, etc. Ireland's Supreme Court would no longer have the final say.
- It would also militarise the EU further, requiring member states "to progressively improve their military capabilities" and to go to the defence of their neighbours in the event of war. This would make a mockery of traditional Irish neutrality and any pretence to an independent Irish foreign policy.
I challenge anyone to truthfully contest these facts, which are available on a number of websites.
They speak for themselves and recommend a No vote in the interests of all of the people of Ireland and Europe.
Joan Walsh
Togher, Co Cork
