Proposal to curtail Irish referendum rule on EU issues

national | eu | other press Friday May 06, 2005 17:27 by redjade

The Government is proposing to amend the Constitution to allow for major future changes to EU rules, including the abolition of the national veto in almost all areas of policy over which the EU currently has power, to be made without a referendum.

Proposal to curtail referendum rule on EU issues

From Irish Times
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/front/2005/0506/688781151HM1EULEAD.html

Archived text
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/miscetcetal/message/3

Under the proposal, voters would be asked in the forthcoming referendum on the EU Constitution to give the Government freedom to sign up in the future to a wide range of such changes as long as they get the approval of the Oireachtas.

This would fireproof future changes made without referendum - including contentious moves such as the appointment of a European public prosecutor - from constitutional challenge.

The Taoiseach, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Attorney General and senior Government officials have briefed the Fine Gael and Labour party leaders on these proposals in recent weeks.

Their response is not yet known, although the Government is believed to be open to considering alterations to the plan.

The Government's draft, which has been seen by The Irish Times, if approved, would allow the State to agree in future to give up the national veto and extend the practice of majority voting in the areas of common foreign and security policy, EU financing, social policy, environment policy and family law.