The European Union was a positive force which helped build economies and bring people closer, the Munster Fianna Fáil MEP, Mr Gerry Collins, said at a Forum on Europe meeting in Limerick last night.
In the opening address, Mr Collins said the Republic's economy was now so well developed it had the third-highest per-capita income in the EU behind Luxembourg and Denmark.
There was a misconception that the EU was a superstate which was centralised in Brussels, but only 3 per cent out of the budgets of the 15 member-states was controlled by EU institutions.
The number of bureaucrats in Brussels was much smaller than in many national civil services in Europe. "There is more to Europe than what comes in by way of grants. We seem to have lost sight of the political reasons for the existence of the EU," he said.
Its establishment in 1957 was a visionary act which guaranteed that Europe's history of wars was put aside. "Equally, the European Union has promoted peace in Ireland by means of its financial support for cross-Border programmes for many years." It had also promoted policies on consumer health, environmental protection, social affairs and education. At a time of economic and political stability, the countries of eastern and central Europe also believed in the EU as a positive force, he added. "Isolationist policies are of no benefit at a time when international co-operation is increasing within what is now a global village."
Also on the panel at last night's discussion was the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith and Ms Brigid Teefy of the PDs.
The National Forum on Europe was set up by the Government after the Treaty of Nice was rejected in the referendum of June 7th last.
Next week, forum meetings will be held in Athlone, Donegal and Monaghan. A fuller report of the Limerick meeting will appear in The Irish Times on Monday.