The Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs has urged a Yes vote to the referendum on the Treaty of Nice, with the dissent of one member, who said the treaty should be set aside until greater public debate had taken place.
Presenting its report on the treaty yesterday, committee chairman Mr Bernard Durkan (FG) said other countries were now looking to Ireland to "do the right thing by them" and to vote in favour of the treaty.
The committee received written and oral submissions, both for and against the treaty, from individuals and organisations, including the employers' group, IBEC, ICTU, Action from Ireland (Afri), the European Movement, the Peace and Neutrality Alliance, the National Platform, the IFA and the Institute of European Affairs.
Mr Durkan said that while the European debate was "not the most highly sought after", it was of importance to every single citizen.
Ireland had been the "poor relation" for 100 years, exporting its population and importing its consumer goods. Thanks to our access to European markets, things had changed to our benefit, he said. Mr Tony Gregory (Ind), said he dissented from the report that the treaty should be ratified for a number of reasons, including the "appalling lack of awareness" among the public of the treaty issues. Recent opinion polls had shown most people admitted knowing "little or nothing" about its implications.
Ireland had until 2002 to ratify the Treaty of Nice and such an important step required far more debate than had been generated so far, he said.
Regardless of assurances given by the Government, he was concerned that Nice was a step in the process of militarising the EU by providing for an "EU army" for the first time. Enlargement of the EU was a "non-issue" as the Amsterdam Treaty already allowed the accession of five new member-states.
The committee was earlier addressed by the EU Commissioner for the Internal Market and Customs Union, Mr Frits Bolkestein, who said there were still "far too many barriers" to a true internal market within the EU.
He urged Ireland to press ahead with deregulation in a number of areas, including postal services, electricity, gas and financial services. Mr Bolkestein also said he would take action on high charges by Irish banks for payments and transfers within the euro zone.
Mr Bolkestein said he did not believe tax harmonisation in all areas was necessary. There was no need to harmonise personal income tax, unless such taxes were shown to be discriminatory or amounted to double taxation.
He was currently taking action against member-states in 66 cases where business taxes had been deemed harmful, he said.