Sir, - Opponents of the Nice Treaty claim that this new EU agreement poses a grave threat to Irish democracy. In fact, each referendum on Europe that has been held in Ireland since 1973 has been characterised by those claiming that the further development of the European Union would diminish our democratic rights.
The referendum on the Nice Treaty will not be any different. It is bizarre that some of those who oppose the Nice Treaty do so in the name of democracy when the basic purpose of the treaty is to consolidate peace and democracy in Europe.
If the provisions of the Nice Treaty are approved then this will help consolidate new democratic structures in Eastern and Central Europe. It will help promote better standards of human rights in these countries. We all have a moral obligation to promote peace and democracy at every opportunity. The enactment of the Nice Treaty achieves this very purpose.
The treaty is a balanced and fair agreement which reflects the concerns of smaller and larger member-states. In the future we will keep control over decisions concerning taxation and justice and home affairs matters. We are also permitting decisions to be taken by a majority of member-states where we consider this is of a beneficial interest to us.
Development of the EU does not mean an erosion of our democratic rights. Those arguments have been shown to be spurious in the past and they will be shown to be spurious during the campaign to ratify the Nice Treaty. - Yours etc.,
Jim Fitzsimons MEP, Dublin Road, Navan, Co. Meath.