The European Union as it stands is more about the market than about people, the Green Party leader, Mr Trevor Sargent, said last night.
The European Union as it stands is more about the market than about people, the Green Party leader, Mr Trevor Sargent, said last night. Delivering the keynote address to the National Forum on Europe in Athlone, Co Westmeath, Mr Sargent said the Government could either be "confrontational" and return to the Nice Treaty, only to have it rejected by the public for a second time, or else could prepare for a new treaty in 2004. The Inter-Governmental Conference of that year would be the time to look afresh at how the EU needs to restructure to create a democratic alternative to the "onward march of globalisation", he said.
It seemed the larger parties were trying to return to the Nice referendum with minimum changes, if any.
To change the Nice Treaty would require the assent of all EU governments and so far this Government had said this would be impossible, Mr Sargent added.
Although the Nice Treaty was most often promoted as a vehicle for EU enlargement, it signalled changes also in a loss of democracy for citizens, expansion of multinational corporate interests and integration of the Western European Union military organisation into EU structures.
"The Green Party supports EU enlargement if it means co-operation with new member-states, but not if it means colonisation and exploitation.
"Enlargement EU-style is not about fostering poorer countries to the east - it is more like a company takeover of these countries.
"This type of enlargement has much in common with globalisation and I predict it will reduce job security and increase inequality both within and between member states."
Mr Sargent said enlargement based solely on market forces also pushes up energy consumption as transportation of goods over greater distances is encouraged. "Instead of strengthening the EU, such an unsustainable orgy of energy consumption makes the EU all the more vulnerable."
Countries applying for EU membership were in doubt about the type of enlargement on offer and many did not want to join at all.
Other speakers at last night's public meeting included Fianna Fáil TD Mr Brian Lenihan, the Socialist Party TD, Mr Joe Higgins, and local Labour Party and PD councillors.
The Forum on Europe will sit in Donegal tomorrow night and in Monaghan on Friday night. Further information is available on the website at www.forumoneurope.ie