BARROSO VISIT:EUROPEAN COMMISSION president José Manuel Barroso has described as "intellectually and politically dishonest" some of the suggestions made in campaign literature published by opponents of the Lisbon Treaty.
Speaking on a visit to Limerick on Saturday, he accused some No campaigners of “playing with fear” and insisted that Ireland stood to gain from approving the treaty on October 2nd.
“I have seen some pamphlets that are completely dishonest intellectually and politically. They are saying sometimes lies – pure lies. They are trying to play with fear. I don’t like fear, I like facts,” Mr Barroso said.
“It’s legitimate to have different opinions – no one is forced to have the same opinion – but please, don’t distort the facts. Saying, for instance, that there is a kind of minimum wage in Europe is completely false, absolutely false. It’s in no treaty, no regulation. It is completely false.”
Asked what would follow if Ireland rejected the treaty, Mr Barroso said it would create “a problem of confidence” by sowing doubts about the EU’s ability to organise itself. “This would create uncertainty, and I really believe that we are living in a time when we don’t need more uncertainty. We need certainty, we need confidence, so that people can invest, can create jobs, can work,” he said.
“So it would be very negative, I have to tell you. We will respect the decision of the Irish people, whatever that decision is. But it would be very negative for all Europe, including of course Ireland.”
During his one-day visit, Mr Barroso addressed a meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs at Shannon airport before meeting students, women’s groups and local politicians in Limerick.
He defended the decision to hold a second referendum, saying the concerns of Irish voters had been accommodated by member states as a result of last year’s rejection. Under present treaties, the number of commissioners must be reduced from 27, he said, whereas heads of state had decided after last year’s Irish referendum to activate the clause in the Lisbon Treaty that allows for every member state to retain the right to nominate a commissioner.
“So the only way to be sure that you, Ireland, will have a commissioner is to have the Lisbon Treaty. That was a concrete concern that was expressed during the previous campaign. We took it on board. And now what we are putting to you is different from what was before, because there are now binding guarantees that this issue is going to be settled.”
He added that it was important for the EU to end its institutional debate and focus on important issues in areas like employment, the environment and world trade.
In response to accusations that he was interfering in domestic Irish politics by visiting the country before the referendum, Mr Barroso argued that this was a matter that concerned all of Europe.
“We are discussing the future of Europe. It’s about Ireland of course, but this matter concerns Europe. I think it’s not only my right but it’s my duty. The European Commission, as a public institution, has the duty to inform, to say what we think. I would be failing in my duties if I did not say what I think is best for Europe.”
“Afterwards, in all freedom, each citizen of Ireland will decide according to his or her own conscience what they believe is the best for Ireland, and I hope also for Europe.”
Dell grant: Europe to approve almost €
15m for workers
The European Commission has approved a grant of €14.8 million to help more than 2,000 ex-Dell workers to find new jobs.
Made available under a new EU fund to help retrain workers who lose their jobs due to the effects of globalisation, the grant relates to 2,840 redundancies in total – some 2,000 in Dell and several hundred more in its suppliers and producers in Ireland.
In January, Dell announced it was planning to move its Raheen operation in the midwest to Poland, shedding some 1,900 jobs. Some 230 jobs were also lost in March from the company’s Cherrywood operation in Dublin.
Speaking in Limerick yesterday, commission president José Manuel Barroso said it had approved Ireland’s application for assistance under the European Globalisation adjustment Fund (EGF), a €500 million back-to-work scheme to help retrain workers who have lost their jobs. That decision must now be agreed by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers.
The package will help the workers by offering them job guidance, support to set up their own business, training and retraining, an internship programme and education allowances and grants. The total package comes to €23 million in total, with the Government to put up €8 million.
“The economic crisis is affecting all European countries, but Limerick and the surrounding area have been hit hard by job losses at the local Dell plant and its suppliers, ” said Mr Barroso.
“The EU is built on solidarity. Our natural response is to come to the aid of those who are experiencing difficulties and to take decisive action to tackle the jobs impact of the crisis. The EGF is one way the EU is helping redundant workers back into jobs, and I am glad that these workers will be able to benefit from the help the EGF can provide.”