CZECH MINISTER for the environment Martin Bursik has called on Irish Green Party members to rally behind the Lisbon Treaty in a second referendum, expected to be held this year.
Mr Bursik, who is chairman of the Green Party in the Czech Republic, said yesterday he hoped the Irish party would help to ratify the treaty for the good of the European environment.
“I think the more the membership understands the issues the more the membership and the voters of the Greens will support the process which is now formulated by the Lisbon Treaty,” he said.
Mr Bursik was speaking at the launch of a European Environment Agency (EEA) report on key environmental challenges in 2009, particularly coping with the effects of climate change.
The Irish Green Party narrowly failed to achieve the level of support of two-thirds of its members at a convention last year that would have enabled it to campaign for the treaty.
The party has already pledged to hold another convention of members before deciding its position ahead of a second referendum, which is most likely to be held in October.
Mr Bursik said he thought the membership would change its mind on Lisbon, which he said was the only way for the EU to continue to be the world leader on climate change.
The Greens are part of a three- party coalition in the Czech Republic, which is expected to ratify the Lisbon Treaty some time in the next few weeks or months.
Mr Bursik will play a crucial role during his country’s six- month EU presidency in preparing Europe’s position for the UN summit on climate change due to be held in Copenhagen in December.
EEA executive director Jacqueline McGlade said she hoped for a positive outcome in any Irish vote on Lisbon because the treaty would boost the EU’s coherence in tackling environmental issues and in negotiating energy sources from states outside the EU.
“Negotiating as a block on external energy supplies brings the whole weight of the European economy to bear rather than if you negotiate it country by country,” she said.
Ms McGlade said the creation of the post of European Council president would also provide additional cohesion and authority to the union when it negotiated on matters such as climate change.