Security and safety top Bertie’s EU list

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern has said that the Government will seek to ensure greater security and safety in the European Union during Ireland’s EU presidency.

In the first address of Ireland’s presidency made early this morning, Mr Ahern said that particular emphasis would be put on transatlantic relations as well as effective co-operation between nations to further progress on conflict prevention and human rights.

Mr Ahern, who was responding to the message from Pope John Paul II to mark World Day of Peace, said that the Irish presidency was occurring at an auspicious time from the EU, as it embarked on its largest single expansion.

“In his message, His Holiness underlines the importance of individuals and non-governmental organisations in the struggle for human rights. A specific initiative of the Irish presidency in the area of human rights is the adoption of EU Guidelines in support of Human Rights Defenders.

We will also focus on the role of NGOs and civil society in conflict prevention,” he said.

Mr Ahern said that another major priority would be to push African issues up the EU’s agenda.

“There are 291 million people living below the poverty line in sub-Saharan Africa. An estimated 28 million are infected with HIV/AIDS. Over a dozen conflict situations exacerbate this humanitarian crisis. It is simply not an option for us to turn our backs,” he said.

Meanwhile, Minister for Foreign Affairs Brian Cowen yesterday rejected the recent criticism made by EU Commissioner David Byrne that Ireland’s stance on security and mutual defence was squeamish. Speaking on RTÉ, he said that Ireland’s tradition of neutrality and non-alignment was honourable, and didn’t mean a refusal to take up obligations, rather a commitment to make its own decisions as a national government. He said the very complex set of circumstances surrounding the draft constitution meant it would not be completed during the six-month term. The Government’s role will be to advance the process and to try and re-establish the negotiating process.

Mr Cowen was criticised by former Fine Gael leader John Bruton who said his approach was “passive and empty”. “[Mr Cowen] spoke of reconciling ‘tectonic plates’ of conflicting national interests when the problem is that EU leaders today are so caught up with national interests that they lack any wider vision.

“Far from pandering to this, the Irish presidency should be raising Europe’s sights to see the larger common European interest.”