Jim O'Keeffe
Question:93 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if it is intended to hold another referendum on the Treaty of Nice before June 2002. [31490/01]
Written Answers. - Treaty of Nice.
Membership of the European Union has been of immense benefit to Ireland and full participation in the Union will continue to be essential to our national development. This is the fundamental reality that must form the basis of our approach to the twin issues of enlargement of the EU and the ratification of the Treaty of Nice.
As I stated in response to questions in the House previously, the Government remains wholly committed to the enlargement process. We recognise that ratification of the Treaty of Nice by the end of 2002 is necessary for enlargement to proceed on schedule. A failure on our part to ratify the treaty would introduce a major obstacle to the enlargement process. It would also have grave consequences for the applicant states, for the Union and, in my view, for our standing in the Union.
The Taoiseach and I have made our position known to our EU partners and to the applicant states. Our partners have made clear their readiness to contribute in every way possible to assisting the Government to find a way forward. They also understand that it is necessary to take time to reflect on the concerns which were expressed by the electorate and to reach conclusions on how to proceed.
That process of reflection is continuing. I do not expect the matter to arise at Laeken. A key element in the process is the ongoing work of the National Forum on Europe. As the forum continues its deliberations and listens to the views of individuals and organisations from Ireland, from elsewhere in the Union, and from the applicant states, it is promoting serious discussion of many of the issues which arose during the campaign. I hope it will contribute to an improved public understanding of the Union and its activities.
There is little doubt that many factors contributed to the defeat of the referendum and to the very poor turnout. By no means all of these were directly related to the treaty itself, as is clear from the recent survey conducted on behalf of the European Commission office in Ireland. Unfortunately there was a high degree of uncertainty and confusion regarding the treaty, not helped by those who sought to misrepresent its content and purpose.
The Government accepts that the text of the treaty cannot be reopened as the conclusions of the Gothenburg European Council confirmed. It may be that there are aspects of the Treaty of Nice, or of the development of the Union gener ally, on which reassurances could be useful. This possibility is one which the Government is bearing in mind, including as we monitor the debate in the National Forum on Europe and elsewhere.