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Bookmark, Email, Print or ShareLisbon Treaty’s legal guarantees are of vital importance to Ireland
Dear Editor,
I very much welcome the legal guarantees which were agreed by EU leaders at their last meeting in June and which do address key concerns as expressed by the Irish people during last year’s Lisbon Treaty referendum campaign.
It is very clear from these guarantees that the Lisbon Treaty and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights do not affect the provisions in the Irish constitution relating to the right to life, education and family life.
There is a legal guarantee which states clearly that the Lisbon Treaty gives no new power to the European Union over taxation matters.
This means that Ireland will retain control over our own taxation rates. No decisions on taxation can be made at an EU level without the agreement of Ireland.
There is also a legal guarantee which states that the EU fully respects Ireland’s policy of military neutrality and Ireland will be taking its own decisions over future levels of defence expenditure and whether or not to take part in future peacekeeping missions.
It is important to emphasise that decisions in Europe in the fields of security, foreign policy and defence issues must be taken with the unanimous support of all 27 member states of the European Union.
In other words, Ireland’s policies in the areas of defence and security are controlled by Ireland itself and not by the EU.
I welcome too the fact that if the Lisbon Treaty is ratified that Ireland will have the right to appoint a member to the European Commission at all times into the future.
Ireland and the European Union will pull through economic recession more quickly if the Lisbon Treaty is ratified. Ireland’s economic future is best served by ratifying this treaty.
Those who create jobs and who seek to invest in our country want to see Ireland at the very heart of the European Union project.
Yours Sincerely,
Liam Aylward MEP,
Hugginstown,
County Kilkenny.
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September 24th, 2009 at 7:19 am
Dear Editor,
Liam Aylward, believes “guarantees” given to Ireland on the Lisbon Treaty will make a no into a yes, on the same piece of paper.(Letters August, September 2009). If these assurances are legal,and according to one Austrian international legal expert K-A Schactschneider, this is in doubt, all other countries will also demand similar exemptions once the treaty is in place.
Ireland’s fiscal independence “pledge” is very controversial.
From France’s standpoint Ireland will become the kind of tax-haven both the EU and OECD have been trying to stamp out. Sooner or later this act of favouritism will come before the the European Court of Justice. As usual, the opinion will go in favour of “more European integration” as they are mandated to do, rather than the “right or wrong” of the matter used in Irish courts. Ireland’s odd position will thus be harmonised with the consensus. Business taxes of only 12.5% will be a thing of the past anywhere in the EU.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Why in the name of God is this being brought up again we have voted and said NO now it’s back again with more promises of what we won’t loose.
I wonder what would have happened if we voted Yes the last time time would that mean we would be voting again for a No ! The way all this is sounding to me we are allowed to keep what we are all ready doing eh I don’t think so once the yes vote is in we are all then painted with the one brush the way the european goverment will see it what’s good enough for us is good enough for Ireland.
What was the saying “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t”.
It’s not as if international companies are fighting to get into this country hell they are trying to get out.
Everyone is trying to look after there own We should do the same.