Brown warns on Irish Lisbon guarantees

The impact of the Lisbon Treaty on Britain must not be affected “in any way” by Irish demands for extra treaty guarantees, Gordon Brown said this afternoon.

The British Prime Minister was speaking at an EU summit which is due to approve written pledges to Irish voters that the Lisbon Treaty will not affect Irish tax policy, neutrality, abortion laws or workers’ rights.

The guarantees are seen as vital if an Irish “no” to the Treaty last year is to be overturned in another referendum in the autumn.

The Treaty is intended to streamline EU decision-making and avoid bureaucratic gridlock as the Union continues to expand.

But it cannot come into force until Ireland says “Yes” and until Poland and the Czech Republic complete ratification.

On the eve of the summit Taoiseach Brian Cowen wrote to Mr Brown pleading with him to ensure British backing to make the guarantees as legally water-tight as possible.

Setting out concern that the technical formula of a “Decision” may not be enough, Mr Cowen said in his letter: “To provide the maximum possible legal assurance to the Irish people, I need to be able to come out of our (summit) meeting and state, without fear of contradiction, that the legal guarantees contained in the Decision will, in time, acquire full Treaty status by way of a Protocol.”

The danger is that a “protocol” adopted before the Treaty is actually in force, would mean other member states have to ratify the Treaty all over again - something the UK and others will not consider.

Mr Cowen’s letter acknowledges that, saying that all he wants now is an “unequivocal” commitment from other EU leaders that the legal guarantees agreed at the summit will be attached to the EU Treaties at a later date as a Protocol.

Mr Cowen’s letter targets Mr Brown as the most likely obstacle and Mr Brown’s response tonight was cautious.

“Britain wants to see a solution to the problems of Ireland and the concerns in the letter.

“The important thing is that we make sure we do the right thing by Ireland and by Europe.

“I want to ensure that the Lisbon Treaty as it affects Britain will not be changed in any way.”

Hopes were high in Brussels that the guarantees would be approved, reinforcing recent poll figures showing a majority in Ireland are now ready to vote to approve the Lisbon Treaty.

Other perils await, however. Czech President Vaclav Klaus has signalled that the changes planned for Ireland may mean that Czech ratification will have to be looked at again.

And Poland’s President has yet to sign into effect Polish ratification.

The final stumbling block is a challenge in a German constitutional court to the validity of Germany’s parliamentary ratification.