By Martin Banks - 10th September 2010
It looks suspiciously like the commission trying to buy favourable news coverage
Stephen Booth
New data allegedly shows how the European commission "interfered" in the run-up to last year's Irish referendum on the Lisbon treaty.
The data was collated by Open Europe, a UK-based think-tank, which campaigns for radical reform of the EU.
It says the statistics reveal how the executive "sought to sell the Lisbon treaty, especially to Irish journalists" via a series of meetings, seminars and other events.
Stephen Booth, a researcher with Open Europe, said, "There was clearly a concerted effort to reach all Irish media before the referendum, which makes a mockery of the commission's claim that it would not interfere in what was a national referendum."
A commission spokesman said they did not wish to comment.
However, the claims were rubbished by UK Liberal Democrat MEP Andrew Duff who said, "This is absolute nonsense. In fact, I think the commission could have been more forceful than it was in endorsing the treaty in the run up to the referendum in Ireland.
"The commission subsidises travel to journalists all the time and for a variety of things but it does so irrespective of whether they are for or against the EU. It is exactly what governments do in member states."
Like the proposed European constitution before it, the treaty was described as an attempt to streamline EU institutions to make the enlarged EU function better.
But its opponents see it as part of a federalist agenda that threatens national sovereignty.
The planned constitution was thrown out by French and Dutch voters in 2005.
The Lisbon treaty which succeeded it was rejected by Irish voters in June 2008 but got overwhelming support in a second referendum in the Irish Republic on 2 October 2009.
The build-up to the second referendum was marked by a particularly heated debate in Ireland with the likes of Irish businessman Declan Ganley campaigning furiously against the treaty.
Pat Cox, a former president of the European parliament, was in the vanguard of those backing the controversial treaty.
Open Europe says that at least €351,765 was spent on Irish journalists and Lisbon-related seminars in the run up to the referendum in October.
Open Europe says the figures were sourced from the EU's 'financial transparency system' for 2009.
It says they show that in 2009 the commission organised several seminars for Irish journalists and a visit of Irish crime journalists to The Hague in August, costing €10,000.
In the same year there was, it says, visit of regional Irish journalists and those covering agricultural and political affairs to Brussels.
Stephen Booth added, "Given that it's the commission's job to promote ‘ever closer union', using taxpayers' money to wine and dine journalists clearly represents a conflict of interest."
"The special attention paid to Irish journalists in the run up to Ireland's Lisbon treaty referendum looks suspiciously like the commission trying to buy favourable news coverage.
"Using taxpayers' money for this kind of propaganda exercise is completely undemocratic and wholly unacceptable."
