Higgins and union official in row over website

A ROW over just two words has led to an escalating war of words between Socialist MEP Joe Higgins and a pro-Lisbon Treaty trade union official.

Blair Horan, of the Civil Public and Services Union and the pro-treaty Charter Group, said he still believed that the text of an article in the Charter of Fundamental Rights as it was printed on Mr Higgins’s website was put there deliberately to distort its meaning.

Article 52 paragraph 2 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights 2000 states that “rights recognised by this charter which are based on the community treaties or the treaty on the European Union shall be exercised under the conditions and within the limits defined by those treaties”.

Mr Horan said the correct interpretation of Article 52 meant that the rights outlined in the charters, particularly those in relation to workers’ rights, cannot be overruled by anything contained in an EU treaty.

He said the article, as published on Mr Higgins’ website, omits the word “which” and includes the word “and”, which is followed by “shall be exercised under the conditions and within the limits defined by those treaties”.

Mr Horan said the subtle change of wording completely changes the meaning of Article 52 to suggest that the Charter of Fundamental Rights, and other charters, are meaningless because they are ultimately subservient to European treaties.

A furious Mr Higgins called a press conference yesterday to state that the small textual change had been an inadvertent mistake which had been corrected when the Socialist Party held its press conference on Monday.

“That is a disgusting, scandalous ploy to exploit a simple textual error and build very serious allegations around it. It is a Stalinist tactic and I will simply not tolerate it,” he said.

On RTÉ Radio 1's DrivetimeMr Horan was sceptical about the claim that the mistake was inadvertent. "That's what Joe is saying, but conveniently it entirely changes the meaning of Article 52. I find it hard to accept given the interpretation he has put on the Charter of Fundamental Rights."

Former EU president and the pro-Lisbon Ireland for Europe campaign director Pat Cox said the treaty would strengthen workers’ rights.