Enlargemnet of the European Union will bring benefits to both candidate countries and existing member-states, the deputy leader of the Labour Party, Mr Brendan Howlin, said last night.
Leading off a public debate in Waterford organised by the National Forum on Europe, Mr Howlin described enlargement as a great opportunity, but said it must involve more than just a single market.
"For the Labour Party, enlargement is not just a matter of extending markets and increasing the number of consumers, important as that undoubtedly is for manufacturers, farmers and service providers in both existing and future member-states. For us, enlargement has a much deeper significance," he said.
The EU had begun as a western European peace project after the second World War, and the challenge now was offering this peace project to the whole of Europe.
Ireland, he said, had security concerns that could not be isolated from those of other EU states. "Many crucial questions can be addressed only by collective policies and actions," Mr Howlin said. "In that regard, the contribution of the European Union to stability, by making war unthinkable between its members, may too often be undervalued."
While Ireland should contribute fully to these developments, the Labour Party was clear that the present provisions of European security and defence policy did not involve a European army, nor did they threaten Irish neutrality.
There was, however, provision for the co-ordination of peacekeeping and peace-making efforts, "which may be essential in an era of uncertainty and instability".
Mr Howlin is leader of Labour's delegation to the forum, which is holding a series of public meetings throughout the State this month.
The Forum for Europe will hold public sessions at the following locations, beginning at 8 p.m.:
Wednesday, Tullamore Court Hotel, Tullamore;
Friday, City Hall, Limerick; Monday, January 21st, Athlone Institute of Technology, Athlone;
Wednesday, January 23rd, Central Hotel, Donegal town;
Friday, January 25th, Hillgrove Hotel, Monaghan;
Monday, January 28th, County Hall, Tallaght;
Tuesday, January 29th, Axis Arts and Community Resource Centre, Ballymun.
A comprehensive report on last night's meeting will be carried in The Irish Times tomorrow.
