Pressure on to join PfP, says Adams at launch

The European Elections are being fought at a "watershed moment" for both the Northern peace process and the future of Ireland in Europe, the Sinn Fein president has said.

Mr Gerry Adams said the peace process remained in crisis because the Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble, was refusing to lead his party into a future where "powersharing replaces the politics of dominance".

Introducing the Sinn Fein European Election manifesto in Dublin, he added that this was also moment in history when "the pressure is on" to join NATO's Partnership for Peace.

Despite earlier promises, Fia nna Fail "would have us enter without so much as a referendum on the issue". Fine Gael "have their sights set on Irish participation in a new European Union army".

And the Labour leadership "with some exceptions, is obviously in favour of a military alliance but does not want to come out and say so".

Mr Adams said the publicity surrounding the return of bodies of IRA victims would be used by "some parties" to Sinn Fein's detriment. This was "regrettable", but the issue was more important than electoral politics.

"I am even reluctant to talk about this issue in the context of vote-getting," he added.

Mr Adams said Sinn Fein's traditional warnings about the European Union had all been borne out.

Small farmers had been driven off the land and the fishing industry "almost destroyed", while the State's sovereignty continued to be eroded.

Nevertheless, the EU now dominated policy and service provision in Ireland and it could not be ignored. Sinn Fein's policy was one of "critical engagement", he said.

Specific policies being put forward by the party included the demand for open and accountable political institutions and opposition to militarisation of the union.

It also wanted "real" reform of the CAP to keep farmers on the land and to reverse the destruction of the fishing industry and supported a ban on production of GM foods, and the closure of Sellafield.

Of Sinn Fein's European prospects, Mr Adams said it had "the best chance yet in the North to have Mitchell McLaughlin elected" and added: "We will certainly double our vote throughout this State."