THE LISBON Treaty is an important basis for the future of 21st century Europe as it enshrines solidarity, human rights and democracy, the president of the EU Parliament has said.
Speaking in Dublin yesterday, Hans-Gert Pöttering said the ratification of the treaty in Ireland was important as it would result in a Europe-wide sense of "unity based in diversity".
It would also make national parliaments more involved in the European Union process, he said.
"Ireland and the citizens have a very important decision at stake, not only for Ireland but for the whole 500 million people of the European Union," he said.
Mr Pöttering was speaking after the European People's Party (EPP), the European Parliament's largest political grouping, met in Dublin to offer their support to Fine Gael's Lisbon Treaty campaign and demands that Ireland and other EU states should be allowed to set their own corporation tax rates.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny told a post-meeting press conference that the ratification of the treaty would strengthen democracy in the State and the link between Irish citizens and politics.
Fine Gael's MEPs are affiliated to the EPP in the European Parliament.
"Firstly, the co-decision process between MEPs and council - that means in future any citizen on the street will be entitled to lobby, discuss and talk about political issues with their directly elected MEP, so they are accountable and responsible to the people," said Mr Kenny.
"Secondly, the parliamentary committee dealing with scrutiny of the EU directives will allow the directly elected TDs and Senators to discuss these issues in advance of them being dealt with by the commission.
"These are two fundamental issues where democracy is strengthened, where it becomes more transparent and it becomes more accountable. That has to be in the interest of everybody," he said.
Mr Kenny also said the fact that Taoiseach Bertie Ahern had announced a resignation date would be of some benefit to voters who wished to support the treaty, as it allowed people to support EU reform "as a separate issue from his difficulties with the tribunal".
The meeting, at the Shelbourne Hotel, was attended by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, the Belgian prime minister, Yves Letermeby, the Polish foreign minister, Radek Sikorski, EPP president Wilfried Martens and other senior EPP figures from throughout the EU.
Mr Martens said should the Lisbon Treaty be rejected by the Irish people, it would present a problem.
"You cannot deny it, we have a real problem in that case. Perhaps we will have to find a solution, but there is not a plan B," he said.
At the meeting, Mr Kenny also outlined Ireland's opposition to tax harmonisation, and to fledgling attempts to set common rules for measuring such taxation rates.
"This was a matter that was being raised by many people over the last number of weeks and I am very happy with the declaration issued by the EPP of our support for tax competition as distinct from any individual tax system," he said.
"It is written into the EU treaty that taxation is a matter of competency for each country and nothing could happen in respect of any harmonisation without absolute unity and that is not on the horizon, so, the people in Ireland who might have had a concern about tax harmonisation, it does not arise."
Mr Pöettering said it was important to make clear that, if the treaty was adopted, no decision on taxes or defence could be taken on European level without Irish consent.