European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said today he was “convinced” the EC can satisfy the Irish electorate's concerns over the Lisbon Treaty.
Speaking ahead of this week’s crucial European Council summit on Thursday and Friday, Mr Barroso said the meeting must find a way of enabling Ireland to reverse the No vote on the treaty last June.
“I am convinced that we can respond to [Brian Cowen’s] national concerns while finding a European solution”, Mr Barroso told a news conference in Brussels.
Mr Cowen last week met key European leaders and Mr Barroso to discuss the Lisbon treaty.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin confirmed yesterday that Ireland is seeking legally binding guarantees on a range of issues of concern to the Irish electorate.
Mr Martin has said negotiations to find a solution to the impasse over the Lisbon Treaty will "go to the wire" at this week's meeting in Brussels. He indicated that the retention of a commissioner by each member state was the main issue being addressed by the Government.
Mr Barroso said today the gathering would be “perhaps the most crucial" European Council in recent years.
“Our citizens will not accept excuses if their leaders fail to take the right decisions," he said. “I believe we can show that climate action, energy security and economic growth can and must be pursued in a mutually supportive way.”
On the Lisbon Treaty, he said the “overriding goal” of the summit had to be to “set out a credible way forward” enabling Ireland to reverse last June’s referendum result.
Mr Barroso, who was in London yesterday for pre-summit talks with British prime minister Gordon Brown, said close EU co-ordination and co-operation on climate change and the financial downturn was now vital.
“I believe we can show that climate action, energy security and economic growth can and must be pursued in a mutually supportive way. This is the best message we can send to the next US President and our other partners.
“This is the credibility test for Europe, at a time when the next US president is willing to change policy.”
Climate change and energy security were cornerstones of the Lisbon Treaty and were needed to promote the economic and social well-being of EU citizens, he said.
“We need the Lisbon Treaty to do that. This is not a distraction. It is an imperative.”
He urged the summit to back an “ambitious and realistic” Economic Recovery Plan already proposed by the Commission, combining short-term stimulus with medium-term stability and long-term growth, as well as a climate change package to “take the decisive steps towards both environmental and economic sustainability.” Both proposals had to be taken together, he said.