Ireland ‘ignores EU think tank at its peril’
The Government has been accused of not taking the Convention on the Future of Europe seriously.
Speaking in Dublin, Mr Cox said that although the level of Irish involvement was significant, he said it was vital the Irish position was put forward and alliances were formed with other countries.
“My own belief is that where we believe we have a strategic point to make, we ought to make the point in a strategic way. We have as much a say as anyone else and if we give strategic leadership we have a bigger say,” he said.
Using the example of the debate over fixed EU taxation rates, the Munster MEP believes it is pointless sitting back complaining while a position is being mooted. It should not be presumed that decisions were all taken beyond reach behind closed doors.
“We really need to build on the assets we have. We need to build the wider case as to why competing systems are better than a fixed system. We need much more of that class of thing and we need it now,” he said.
The Convention is due to complete its work by the end of May but it has yet to be decided what happens next.
Rejecting the suggestion put forward by Justice Minister Michael McDowell that the Government could catch up on the decision making at a later stage, Mr Cox said you could not leave everything to the end of the process.
The conclusions of the Convention will be indispensable if it gets it right and influential if it goes forward, the Munster MEP said.
Following the passing of the Nice Treaty in Ireland and the agreement of EU states to allow 10 countries to join the union, each of the candidates states is to hold a referendum in the coming months.
The first referendum will be held in the spring in Hungary - the most pro-EU of the Eastern European block. “It will be very much a year of parliaments and the public after a year of politics,” Mr Cox said.
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