Ireland’s Future is a civil society group explaining what the Treaty of Lisbon is about, by explaining the facts and fighting misunderstandings.
The Quick Guide – Lisbon 2 and Ireland in the EU (10 June 2009; 28 pages) offers:
Ten Reasons for Supporting Lisbon 2
Why Do We Need the Lisbon Treaty?
Guarantees to Address the Concerns Irish Voters Expressed about the Lisbon Treaty in June 2008
Five Negative Consequences for Ireland of a Second Rejection of the Lisbon Treaty
Ireland’s Economic Recovery Will Be Greatly Helped by a YES to the Second Lisbon Treaty Referendum
The EU is a New and Unique Way of Governing Ourselves
A Strong EU is Vital to a Better Future for Ireland
The 4 Main Reform Provisions of the Lisbon Treaty
Common Misconceptions about the Lisbon Treaty
Irish Neutrality is a Neutrality of Responsibilities
Article 16c of the Lisbon Treaty Places our Values at the Centre of the EU
What Has the EU Done for Me?
About Ireland’s Future.ie
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New developments
The Treaty of Lisbon was agreed between 27 governments. It has been approved by 26 national parliaments.
Since the publication of the Quick Guide, the EU leaders have repeated their assurance that Ireland and all other EU member states will retain a Commissioner, if the Lisbon Treaty enters into force.
In addition, the EU partners have agreed on the detailed guarantees to Ireland, which clarify the meaning of the Lisbon Treaty, in questions where the first referendum campaign sowed doubts about the true meaning.
In these respects, Ireland has achieved a better deal and a clearer deal, even if the text of the Lisbon Treaty remains the same.
This week the Lisbon Treaty was declared compatible with the German Basic Law (Constitution) by the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe. In Germany and other member states of the European Union improved scrutiny of European Union affairs will be on the agenda of national parliaments.
The Quick Guide is a comprehensive view of main points of the Lisbon Treaty and especially Irish concerns about its contents. The text is aimed at the general public of voting age, so it is not overly technical.
With the latest developments, an updated version would be an option. At the same time a few linguist errors and some simplistic statements could be corrected. A link to the consolidated version of the Lisbon Treaty would come in handy (and the references could be to the readable version of the amending treaty).
Ralf Grahn
Friday, 3 July 2009
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I like our Constitution, Bunreacht na h-Eireann, I see no need for this Lisbon Treaty, I like Europe the way it is and I want no more change. I want to leave it exactly the way it is, and if the "good Europeans" don't like it; I don't give a damn.
ReplyDeleteAll these sob stories about, how Lisbon is necessary to make Europe more eefficent, and to streamline decision making is an implicit admission that they got it wrong(or were lying) the last time with Nice and there is no guarantee that they,ve got right this time either.
I do not approve of the Lisbon Treaty, and that is the way I'm going to vote in October.
Kerdasi Amaq,
ReplyDeleteAlready in December 2000 it was widely acknowledged that the Treaty of Nice was nowhere near a satisfactory reform treaty. The reform process started then, and sadly it is far from concluded.
You offer no reasons why you want the Nice Treaty to be the crowning achievement of European integration, but I hope that you give the arguments for the Lisbon Treaty serious consideration.
26 national parliaments have approved it, so it is hard to deny that elected representatives of the peoples of Europe do see the need for reform.
Hej Ralf
ReplyDeleteRoligt med ditt intresse foer vaart Irland (tack/kiitos)
En liten saga saa haer paa helgen...
An Irish Bedtime Story for all Nice Children and not so Maastricht Adults
http://ceolas.net/#eu7x
The Happy Family
Once upon a time there was a family treaty-ing themselves to a visit in Lisbon.
On the sunny day that it was they decided to go out together.
Everyone had to agree on what they would do.
"So", said Daddy Brusselsprout "Let's all go for a picnic!"
"No", said Aunt Erin, "I don't want to".
Did they then think of something else, that they might indeed agree on?
Oh yes they did?
Oh no they didn't!
Daddy Brusselsprout asked all the others anyway, isolating Erin, and then asked her if instead, she would like to go with them to the park and eat out of a lunch basket....
Kids, we'll finish this story tomorrow, and remember, in the EU yes means yes and no means yes as well!
Panta Rei,
ReplyDeleteYou made me think of another story, about a family reunion of 27. Having thought about her previous opposition, Aunt Erin decided to listen to the others and to think about her future, so on the second day she joined the party.
It was great fun, and afterwards she felt like a mature person, like her dear kin.
"it was widely acknowledged that the Treaty of Nice was nowhere near a satisfactory reform treaty."
ReplyDeleteSo, why did they ask us to vote YES to such a flawed "reform" treaty then?
Have they got it right this time? I don't think so.
"You offer no reasons why you want the Nice Treaty to be the crowning achievement of European integration,"
I don't need any, it is more a way of saying, this far shalt thou go and no further.
"but I hope that you give the arguments for the Lisbon Treaty serious consideration."
I would, if there were any. So far I haven't encountered a single compelling argument in favour of the Lisbon Treaty.
"26 national parliaments have approved it, so it is hard to deny that elected representatives of the peoples of Europe do see the need for reform."
I see, this amounts to saying that because 26 other parliaments have ratified the Lisbon treaty, I must vote YES, too. Why, are we holding this referendum, if the outcome, in effect, is to be predetermined?
The reason we are holding this referendum, is because the Irish Government does not have the Constitutional Authority, as determined by the Supreme Court, to give away the sovereignty of Irish people itself. Those turncoat, sellout traitors(the Irish Government+opposition) would do so, in an instant, if they could. Only the Irish people can give away their sovereignty themselves, and so that is why we are holding this referendum.
Kerdasi Amaq,
ReplyDeleteThere are people open to reason, and then there are some who are not. Your way of describing the elected representatives of Ireland are telling.
Hopefully, some of your compatriots are more willing to think about the future of Ireland and Europe in front of the challenges of the 21st century.