Irish ready to hold new EU vote

The Irish Republic is willing to hold a second referendum on the EU's reform treaty if given certain guarantees by the EU, a spokesman has told the BBC.

Those legally binding guarantees are to be discussed by EU leaders at a summit getting under way in Brussels.

The Lisbon Treaty has been on ice since being rejected by Irish voters in June.

The summit is also due to take crucial decisions on EU measures to tackle climate change, and to consider an EU-wide economic stimulus plan.

The mechanism for a second referendum is included in draft conclusions which are being presented by the current holders of the EU presidency, France, and which have been seen by the BBC.

According to the draft, the Irish government says "it is committed to seeking ratification" of the Lisbon Treaty by end of October next year.


An Irish government spokesman told the BBC that it was "seeking legally binding instruments to address the concerns of the Irish people", and that once it got those assurances, it would present "a roadmap for ratification", that would include another referendum.

The EU is set to offer guarantees that the treaty will not affect three main areas of concern to Irish "No" voters - abortion, Irish neutrality and taxation, says the BBC's Europe editor Mark Mardell.

Ireland is also likely to be able to keep its EU commissioner.

The treaty is aimed at streamlining decision-making in the enlarged 27-nation EU.

It cannot take effect unless all 27 states ratify it. But Irish voters rejected it in a referendum and objections have held up its ratification in the Czech Republic and Poland.

Critics see the treaty as further evidence of a federalist, pro-integration agenda at work in the EU.

Even some of its architects say it is just a modified version of the EU constitution, rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005.

Credibility at stake

EU leaders will pore over and work on the summit conclusions before they are published on Friday.

They also face a major test of their willingness to tackle climate change, with a key agreement on cutting the EU's carbon pollution at stake.

Amid the economic downturn, Germany, Italy and Poland, among others, are fighting any deal that could cost jobs.


The "20-20-20" package, which also requires approval by the European Parliament to become law, commits the EU to cutting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 20% by 2020, compared to 1990 levels, and to raising renewable sources to 20% of total energy use.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is pushing hard to clinch a deal before he hands over the rotating presidency of the EU to the Czech Republic at the end of the year.

"It is a question of credibility," said European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Tuesday.

"It would be a real mistake for Europe to give the signal that we are watering down our position, after all these years leading the efforts for a global solution."

He described the summit as "perhaps the most crucial European Council in recent years... and the most important in which I have participated as Commission president".

Employment worries

Germany and Italy have expressed concern that their industries could be put at an international disadvantage if the CO2 targets are too ambitious.

"If I see that Italian interests will be hurt in an excessive way, I will use our veto rights," said Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on Wednesday.

"There will be no climate decisions that will endanger German jobs or investments. I will take care of that," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Also up for discussion is the EU's $260bn (£175bn) economic stimulus plan.

With recession looming, there will be broad agreement on the EU-wide package to boost the economy, although Germany opposes calls from Britain and France to cut taxes, says the BBC's Oana Lungescu in Brussels.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/7776961.stm

Published: 2008/12/11 11:03:10 GMT