Sir, - Dr Ben Tonra's article of November 8th, on allowing enlargement of the EU without another referendum on the Treaty of Nice, may provide lawyers with interesting dinner-party conversation but it does not provide a viable and democratic basis for the process of EU enlargement.
Despite his contention that we somehow "know" the Irish people did not vote against enlargement, the fact remains that the people, in a referendum, voted against a treaty whose primary purpose is to facilitate a truly European Union.
What Dr Tonra does highlight is the considerable ambiguity that existed during the campaign on Nice about this issue. It makes it imperative that we have an opportunity to re-analyse and debate again these issues. The National Forum on Europe, recently opened at Dublin Castle, must serve as a means to begin lively public discussion on the future of the EU and of our role in it.
The chief outcome of this process must be another referendum on the Treaty of Nice. This time the referendum must have both vigorous public debate and a very different campaign by those on the Yes side of the argument.
The Yes campaign must highlight the enormous benefits of EU membership to Ireland and how the Treaty of Nice will allow those benefits to flow to and from Central and Eastern Europe. Without the Treaty, even the limited and piecemeal enlargement which was made possible under Amsterdam has the potential to cripple decision-making within the EU.
Secondly, the Yes campaign must clarify what is in the Nice Treaty. The ambiguity mentioned above is a direct result of scurrilous misinformation by the No side last time. The Yes campaign failed to challenge these misapprehensions.
Finally, the Yes campaign must truly engage the people of Ireland. This requires the involvement of those who are not otherwise part of the political process. It is also incumbent on the Yes side to demonstrate the relevance of the EU, and of Nice, to our own corner of Europe.
The future of the EU depends on what happens here in Ireland. It is imperative that we begin to inform ourselves of the real issues at stake in the ongoing development of the EU. When that is done, we are confident that the process towards a genuinely European Union will be saved, not by legal mechanisms, but by overwhelming endorsement from the Irish people. - Yours, etc.,
Ciaran Toland, Chair, Adrian Langan, Spokesperson, Ireland for Europe, Hampton Square, Navan Road, Dublin 7.