Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-05-30-Speech-3-065"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2001-05-30"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Treaty of Nice and the future of the EU2
dcterms:Language	"en"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20010530.5.3-065"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2001-05-30-Speech-3-0662
lpv:speaker	lp:Gerard Collins2
lpv:spoken text	"Mr President, President-in-Office of the Council, Commission, the European Union leaders when they met in Nice last December to review existing treaties had one single objective in mind: they sought to change the internal decision-making procedures within the institutions of the Union to guarantee that enlargement of the European Union could take place. I believe the Treaty of Nice is a balanced agreement which guarantees the go-ahead to the enlargement process whilst at the same time protecting and promoting the entries of the smaller Member States. The Treaty of Nice does not build a two-tier European Union whereby larger Member States can dictate the pace of change within the Union at the expense of the smaller states. There will not be a fundamental shift in the balance of power within the Union as a result of the enactment of the provisions of the Treaty. The European Union will remain a Union of peoples and states. All Member States within the Union will retain the right to appoint one member to the Commission until 27 countries become full members of the Union, and even at that stage, positions in the Commission will be distributed between all Members on a rotation basis. Decisions concerning key national entries will remain the exclusive domain of individual Member State governments, and any changes concerning taxation policies or social security matters will be left to individual countries to decide on. The unanimity requirement for tax changes remains the order of the day within the Union. This is very important, because I believe that issues of taxation should be addressed by national parliaments and not decided centrally by the European Union. Enlargement of the Union will promote and consolidate democratic structures in Eastern and Central Europe. It will help to strengthen new free-market economies of these countries, and it will contribute to making these countries more competitive. The enlargement process provides the basis for a truly historic reconciliation on a continent which has been divided over the past century by wars and ideologies. It is incumbent on all of us to grasp the opportunities which are before us to help build a more stable European continent at peace with itself. We are all aware in this House that a constitutional referendum on the Treaty of Nice is being held in Ireland next week. The Treaty is certainly a good deal for countries of Central and Eastern Europe, but equally for existing Member States of the Union. There is no doubt that the operation of the internal market has been a success, particularly over the last ten years, and from an Irish perspective economic success in our country could simply not have been achieved if we were not a Member of the Union."@en1
lpv:spokenAs	vice-chair; UEN (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 unknown; Fianna Fáil Party (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 chair; Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia and the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) (1999-07-22--2002-01-14)3 member; Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3 member; Conference of Delegation Chairs (1999-07-22--2002-01-14)3 substitute; Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy (1999-07-21--2002-01-14)3
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"Collins (UEN )."1

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