MEPs appeal to Irish to back EU reform treaty

A ‘no’ verdict in the Lisbon treaty referendum would leave Ireland isolated from the rest of the EU, a senior MEP has warned.

Ahead of Thursday’s Irish vote, parliament’s constitutional affairs committee chief Jo Leinen on Tuesday cautioned that a 'no' victory would “lead to reduced influence and weight for Ireland in the EU”.

And the German Socialist MEP also warned that a poor turnout on Thursday could hand the result to the ‘no’ camp, as he says the low turnout for the first referendum on the Nice Treaty in 2002 did.

"A low voter turnout plays into the hands of the EU’s opponents," said Leinen who appealed for voters to come out and vote on Thursday.

"The future of Europe ought not to be decided by a small minority. This would not be acceptable, neither politically nor legally. The Lisbon treaty offers more rights and freedoms to Irish citizens.

Leinen also attacked the Irish no camp for misleading voters.

“There is no convincing argument for Ireland to vote against the reform treaty. Therefore, the anti-Europeans are working with arguments entirely unrelated to the content of the treaty. Neither the question of abortion nor the next world trade talks are decided by the Lisbon treaty.”

Irish farmers and a number of ‘no’ vote campaigners had argued that world trade negotiations led by EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson would impact heavily on Irish agricultural subsidies.

Concerns over Mandelson’s intentions were so strong that the Irish Farmers’ Association advised its members to vote against the treaty unless the British commissioner’s plans were drastically reduced.

The threat of 85,000 Irish farming families vetoing the new treaty was too much for new Irish prime minister Brian Cowen, who last week promised to veto any WTO deal that would negatively affect the farming community.

With a tight result forecast, the Irish farming vote could be decisive.  The importance to the ‘yes’ camp of winning over the agriculture sector prompted parliament’s EPP-ED group leader Joseph Daul – himself a farmer - to urge the rural community to support the ‘yes’ campaign.

“I am particularly pleased that the Irish Farmers’ Association is recommending a “yes” vote in the referendum, as this is in the best interests of Irish farmers and their families, said Daul on Monday.

“As a committed European and a Frenchman, I share the concerns raised in Ireland about the direction of the WTO talks in relation to agriculture and I am determined to ensure that any attempt by EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson to sell out European agriculture will be firmly resisted.

“In an era where there are huge concerns about food security, we cannot allow an agreement at the WTO which would decimate EU food production”.

Daul said that he fully supported Ireland’s farmers on the WTO issue and vowed to “protect our important food and farming sector in the EU”.

“Peter Mandelson has gone too far in his attempts to broker a trade agreement. Agriculture cannot and must not be a scapegoat for this trade agreement, it is too important a sector to tamper with,” Daul warned.

“As we face into the CAP health check, we need a strong Europe focused on facing the challenges that lie ahead. The Lisbon treaty provides that strength and stability by ensuring strong and effective institutions working for all the people of Europe,” he added.

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