There were fears that EU structures could be used to undermine the culture of member states where the Catholic Church viewpoint enjoyed a stronger adherence than within the EU generally, Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Dr Diarmuid Martin, said last night.
The union had become "a powerful vehicle for the propagation of a certain interpretation of human rights", particularly where "the right to life from the moment of its conception to natural death and . . . the family based on marriage" were concerned, he said.
Juridical culture in Europe was dominated, as elsewhere, "by legal positivism and by individualism", he continued. Dr Martin was speaking in Dublin at a seminar on the future of Europe, organised by the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice.
EU structures, "still have a democratic deficit", he said.
There was no doubt that decisions "of both political and juridical organs of the European Union can be greatly influenced by ideological visions", he said.
It was often the case "that these visions are present due to the strong influence of individual member states which, at times, look on such an understanding of human rights as part of national policy", said the archbishop.
There should be greater alertness at national level "both within government and within civil society - in monitoring mechanisms of the union if they push to a standardisation of issues and values which perhaps goes beyond the specific competence or mandate of the union itself", he said.
He also felt there was a growing tendency for the EU "to adopt some of the trappings of a superpower, especially in trade negotiations", when it came to international negotiations.
" EU positions in trade negotiations . . . are often the subject of pressure from national governments and national interest groups. The union is often held back from more enlightened positions by national interest."