EU: EU member-states should end the constant renegotiation of EU rules by producing a new treaty which will last for decades, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, said last night. Mark Brennock, Political Correspondent, reports
In a speech laying out the Government's attitude to the current Convention on the Future of Europe, Mr Cowen signalled a willingness to accept a number of changes in the structure and role of EU institutions.
He indicated openness to supporting a so-called EU "solidarity clause", abolishing national vetoes in further areas and putting the Charter of Fundamental Rights into a EU treaty.
However, he strongly restated Ireland's opposition to harmonisation of tax rates, and reluctance to consider harmonisation in the area of criminal law. In this he echoed recent comments by the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, on both issues. Mr Cowen was delivering his annual address to the Institute of European Affairs in Dublin.
He said fears expressed by some that the EU was pushing to erode national sovereignty were unfounded. There was "no serious push to alter the balance and allocation of competence as between the member-state and the Union. Our partners do not harbour dreams of a federal superstate."
The convention, currently meeting in Brussels, is reaching the final stage of discussion on the future shape of the EU. It will then present a report, which will form the basis of negotiations between the EU governments on a new EU treaty.
Mr Cowen said he shared the view of the president of the convention, Mr Valery Giscard d'Estaing, that the next EU treaty should be able to last up to 50 years. While most observers believed ongoing treaty change was inevitable, Mr Cowen said he would like to take further treaty change "off the table for decades".
He said "constant revisiting and amendment of the treaties has had an unsettling effect".
He restated the central tenets of Ireland's position, signalling a positive attitude to certain changes which are gathering support at the convention.
He spoke positively of the proposal for a so-called "solidarity clause" in a new EU treaty. Such a clause would enable military and other resources to be mobilised in support of a member-state subject to terrorist attack. However, he restated Ireland's traditional position on a "common defence", saying Ireland could enter no such arrangement without a referendum.
He said the so-called Petersberg Task should be updated "to meet the challenges of today". This could involve adding tasks such as conflict prevention, joint disarmament operations and post-conflict stabilisation to the existing tasks of peacekeeping and peacemaking and search-and-rescue operations.
He appeared to accept that a Charter of Fundamental Rights would now be incorporated into the EU treaties. While the Government has been cautious about such a move in the past on national sovereignty grounds, Mr Cowen acknowledged there was now "strong support" for this.
He accepted that there must be "a degree of compromise" on the future of EU institutions. Ireland agreed with the proposal that while the European Commission would eventually be reduced in size, its membership would be rotated equally among member-states.
The Government has also put forward its own proposal at the convention this week which would allow the President of the European Commission to be selected by an electoral college comprising representatives of national parliaments and the European Parliament.
He supported proposals that the rotating EU presidency system be changed and that the EU's two foreign policy posts be merged. He was attracted to the idea of "team presidencies" of several member-states.
He dismissed objections to the proposal put forward by the Praesidium of the convention which would lead to a single EU treaty to replace the many treaties which currently exist. Opponents of such a document feel it would become an EU constitution, with authority to override domestic constitutions.
Mr Cowen said it would not alter "the nature of the Union as a partnership of sovereign member-states".