DEIRDRE DONOHOE,
Sir, - Your correspondent, Dick Humphreys, (August 13th), argues that Irish politicians who support the Nice Treaty are "paving the way towards transforming the EU into a political entity". In fact, the EC has been a political entity since its formation.
The aims of the Treaty of Rome (the 1957 founding treaty of the European Communities) included the maintenance of peace and closer political co-operation in Europe, as well as economic integration. The EU has successfully contributed to political developments over the last 50 years that have transformed former enemies into close allies.
Mr Humphreys suggests that politicians welcome the transfer of decision-making and responsibility from Dáil Éireann to Brussels because "it does not hit their pay-cheques and it happily relieves them of further responsibility in so many areas". He claims that they probably support Nice because it relieves them of even more decision-making.
Such cynical generalisations are ill-founded. The Council of Ministers, the main decision-making institution of the Union, is comprised of representatives from the governments of the member states. Irish politicians elected to government contribute fully to the councils' decision-making processes, alongside the representatives of the governments of the other member states.
Ireland's ratification of the Nice Treaty will allow for the development of EU decision-making structures, including an increase in the number of policy areas where decisions will be made using qualified majority voting rather than requiring unanimity within the Council of Ministers. It can be convincingly argued, as your correspondent, Jason Fitzharris, (August 7th), has shown, that these changes will make the European Union more democratic.
The proposed changes in the remit of the Council of Ministers will not relieve national governments of their responsibility. Irish citizens will continue to question Irish politicians about decisions taken at EU level which affect them.
Those of us, including politicians, who support a Yes vote in the Nice referendum do so because ratification of the treaty will benefit the citizens of this state as well as those of an enlarged EU. - Yours etc.,
DEIRDRE DONOHOE,
Terenure,
Dublin 6