Is mór an onóir dom glacadh leis an gcuireadh seo labhairt i Seanad Éireann mar Fheisire de Pharlaimint na hEorpa. Tá sé de phribhléid agam ionadaíocht a dhéanamh ar thoghcheantar Chonnacht-Uladh agus tá mé ag dúil go mór le hionadaíocht a dhéanamh ar thoghcheantar i bhfad níos mó, ceantar an Iarthair agus an Tuaiscirt, a chuireann Condae an Chláir isteach le Connacht-Uladh.
I thank the Members of Seanad Éireann for inviting me to talk about my work in the European Parliament and to discuss the future developments of the European Union from an Irish perspective. One of the ongoing issues of concern to many people is that it is difficult to explain what the institutions of the EU are doing. Inviting Members of the European Parliament to the Seanad to explain our work and our specific roles within the European Parliament is a constructive exercise. I hope this means there will be a greater level of interaction between Members of the European Parliament and Members of the Seanad into the future. This is important because Ireland's future rests politically and economically within an ever-expanding EU. Indeed, these are challenging times for the EU as it seeks to modernise its decision-making structures to accommodate the ten new member countries which are set to join the Union from 1 May next.
Before speaking in detail about my work in the European Parliament, I have a few comments on the negotiations for the new EU treaty. In 1957 the European Economic Community was founded and decision-making procedures were put in place for a Community of the six founding member states. Now we live in a Community of 15 member states, comprising 375 million people, and in a little less than six months' time we will be living in a Community of nearly 500 million people. If the EU is to remain effective it must modernise its decision-making system.
If there is agreement on a new EU treaty over the coming days another referendum will be held in Ireland. This is a legal requirement that has been in place ever since the Crotty judgment of the mid-1980s. This means we will be voting for the sixth time on a new EU treaty since 1987. This should be seen as an opportunity for a broader debate on the work of the EU's institutions and the role Ireland is playing within this evolving political and economic entity. However, I do not agree with the President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, who recently stated that countries which did not support a new European treaty would have problems continuing their membership of the European Union. Mr. Prodi's warning shot to EU Governments and citizens is a highly unwelcome development and should be criticised in its entirety. It does not contribute one iota to the positive role of the debate that is taking place about the future of the EU.
Much progress has been made on the need to ensure that the citizens of Europe fully understand how the Union carries out its business. Governments set up the structure of the EU Convention along the same lines as the National Forum on Europe in order that proposals could be brought to EU Governments about the future operation of the Union. I pay tribute to Senator Maurice Hayes for the important role he has played as chairman of the National Forum on Europe. EU leaders are meeting this week in Brussels to discuss the broader proposals for a new EU treaty. That does not mean that different Governments and people in Europe do not have concerns about certain proposals being discussed. I do not believe that taxation matters, for example, are best left as the preserve of individual member state governments and local authorities. I fully support the retention of the unanimity requirement for taxation decisions to be taken by the EU. It is not in the best interests of the citizens of Europe to allow the EU to take decisions on taxation matters through a majority voting system alone.
We must recall that even now there are more than 50 different areas where the European Parliament has power of co-decision with the governments of the EU concerning a range of economic and social policy issues. The European Parliament has power of co-decision concerning environmental issues, social and employment matters, consumer protection, promotion of public health, allocation of Structural Funds, to name a few. In the context of the future make-up of European institutions, it is important that smaller member states are effectively represented at the top table of the European Commission. There must be equality of representation on the European Commission between smaller and larger member states. The European Commission is a very important institution and manages EU competition policy and many of the practical aspects of the running of the EU Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policy.
Within the European Parliament I serve on the fisheries committee and on the industry, external trade, research and energy committee. My membership of the fisheries committee has come at a time of reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, which is critical for the future of the Irish fishing industry and at a time when there is an unprecedented need to protect the interests of Irish fishermen, their families and the coastal communities to which they belong. The Common Fisheries Policy must be geared to keeping alive regions that depend on fishing rather than making it a battlefield between states. Fishermen share common interests. They all need fishery resources to carry on their activity. There are problems with fish stocks at this time. We have an obligation to be serious about fisheries conservation and sustainability of fish stocks. However, recovery plans for fish stocks cannot disregard the social and economic consequences. I regret the current unsatisfactory state of fish stocks and am in favour of conservation. Since day one I have been adamant that highly sensitive areas must be protected. This is particularly true of the fishing area known as the Irish Box. I had the privilege of being appointed rapporteur by the fisheries committee in the European Parliament on this sensitive issue of major importance to Ireland. Time and again I stressed that the area known as the Irish Box was a rich fishing area with a high concentration of juvenile fish and spawning grounds. I stressed it was critical that the EU applied restrictions on fishing efforts within the area and vital that the Irish Box be maintained as the biologically sensitive zone in the interests of sustainability of stocks.
Earlier this year the European Parliament in Strasbourg voted for my amendment, detailing the need to protect the Irish Box, by a massive majority. In so doing it voted to protect the legitimate interests of Irish fishermen. I have insisted continually that fishermen and their representative organisations must be allowed greater participation and involvement in the decision making process of the Common Fisheries Policy.
In the recent reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, the European Commission has finally agreed that fishermen and their organisations must and will be more involved in the future. I welcome the proposal from the European Commission to create regional advisory councils which will include fishermen and their organisations for the first time in the decision making process. The European Parliament has now been formally invited to draw up a report and give its opinion. Once again the fisheries committee has nominated me to draft the report on this important matter. I will consult widely with fishermen and their organisations before drafting my report.
The setting up of the regional advisory councils is a constructive policy issue and must be supported. It can only be successful if it is properly financed and resourced. As a member of the industry, external trade, research and energy committee of the European Parliament I deal with a wide ranging set of policy issues, which are implemented at EU level, concerning the operation of commerce in the European Union. At present the European Parliament together with the European Commission and the EU governments are working strenuously to implement the Lisbon agenda. This agenda aims to make the EU the most competitive region in the world by 2010. To ensure the European Union becomes the most competitive and knowledge-based economy in the world, there must be investment in human capital, innovation, research and development. The advancement of the Lisbon process has also been rightly set out as a key priority for the Irish Government during the forthcoming Presidency of the European Union.
Specific attention must be devoted to the needs of innovative small businesses in peripheral regions. One area of particular interest relates to the future operation of the telecommunications industry in Ireland and in the European Union. We live in a new information society where peripherality need not be a drawback. If the right infrastructure is put in place, notably broadband, and if adequate investment is made in providing skills training, regions such as the west and north-west can compete on a more equal basis with central locations. The benefits of new and evolving technology, such as broadband are more important now than ever to the Government given that the Minister for Finance has announced his plans to decentralise many Government offices. My constituency of Connacht-Ulster is an Objective One region and will continue to be until 2006.
I urge the Government to ensure between now and 2006 that the counties which have Objective One status are guaranteed a package of financial incentives for new industries setting up in these regions. The western and north-western regions of Ireland were accorded Objective One status in an effort to ensure balanced regional development is promoted. If Objective One status is to be successful, we must ensure that a new infrastructure, a modern telecommunication network, is put in place in these areas in order that indigenous and foreign direct investment can locate in the west and north-west.
I also take a particular interest in agricultural issues. The Common Agricultural Policy is still more important to Ireland per capita than any other member state. I have regular contact with farming organisations in Ireland. Recently I have had particularly close contact with farming organisations concerning the latest changes introduced on the future operation of the Common Agricultural Policy. I welcome the Government's decision that all direct payments for cattle and sheep premia be fully decoupled from production as and from 1 January 2005. Decoupling will present a clear opportunity to eliminate red tape which has been too much to the forefront of the practical implementation of the CAP in recent years. Decoupling is a big change for Irish farmers but it is one that will bring much needed stability and economic security to the sector which, in recent years, has experienced much uncertainty. In addition, farmers will be free to focus more sharply on the market and on the demands of the consumer. In turn, this will provide a firmer basis for a competitive food industry. The shift in focus of the EU Common Agricultural Policy towards the needs of the small farmer is a welcome development.
I represented the European Parliament at the WTO talks in Mexico. While, unfortunately, no deal was reached it is important that rules are agreed at a multilateral level for trading operations. The talks are of great significance to us in Ireland. We export 90% of the beef produced here and as a result we have a real interest in ensuring that an orderly set of rules is in place to govern trading relations between different countries.
I stated at the beginning of my contribution that these are challenging times for the European Union. However, it is fair to say they are exciting times as well. We look forward to Ireland assuming the Presidency of the European Union in January, which presents us with a challenge of overseeing the enlargement of the Union. It is a great opportunity for us to market our country on the international stage. Enlargement is an opportunity for us to strengthen our links with the ten new countries joining the European Union. New markets for Irish exports in these countries will guarantee more jobs at home.
Mar fhocal scoir, ba mhaith liom lua go bhfuil tábhacht mhór ag baint le caomhnú ár gcultúir agus ár dteanga. Tá sé soiléir in Eoraip an lae inniu go bhfuil meas ar an éagsúlacht. Go deimhin, tá sé luaite i réamhrá an dréacht-chonartha gurb é tríd an éagsúlacht sin a thiocfas an t-aontas. Ba chóir dhúinn díriú ar an mana sin chun ár dteanga dúchais, an Ghaeilge, a chur ar chomhchéim le teangacha eile na hEorpa. Tá deis iontach againn é sin a dhéanamh agus muid i gceannas Uachtaránacht na hEorpa ón chéad lá den bhliain seo romhainn. Léireoidh sé sin don Eoraip, ach go háirithe do na tíortha atá ag teacht isteach, go bhfuil meas ar an éagsúlacht chultúrtha atá á éileamh acu le fada agus iad tár éis cinntiú go mbeidh a gcuid teangacha féin in úsáid go forleathan san Aontas méadaithe.