Roche: If treaty not ratified a third of states will lose commissioner

A THIRD of EU countries will lose their European Commissioner in November if Ireland rejects the Lisbon treaty again, Europe Minister Dick Roche has confirmed.

Mr Roche said if the Lisbon treaty is not ratified the rules of the Nice treaty would apply to the size of the commission.

“It’s a statement of fact that the size of the commission would be 18 and it’s nonsense to say, as some have suggested, that it will be just one less than the number of countries. It would be a substantially smaller commission.”

EU foreign ministers agreed, at Ireland’s insistence, not to discuss the composition of the next commission at this stage to give Ireland an opportunity to hold its referendum.

Mr Roche said he got widespread support and understanding for Ireland’s position, particularly from the French and Spanish and they accepted that the only issue on the table at present is one commissioner per country under the deal brokered by Ireland.

However, the Czech presidency said the technicalities of how to reduce the commission would have to be looked at, but work had not begun on this yet.

Czech Europe Minister Alexandr Vondra said the EU needed to be ready for any eventuality, but agreed that the only issue on the table at the moment is the agreement that every country would retain their commissioner if the Lisbon treaty were ratified.

Irish and EU lawyers will begin work shortly on the wordings for the Irish guarantees on neutrality, abortion, tax and social conditions. Mr Roche said he expected the work to be completed in time to be agreed by EU leaders at the June summit.

But the Government would have to consult the opposition and social partners on the wording and ensure it complied with the Constitution. He added that the decision to hold a second referendum would not be formally made until all this was completed.

In the event of everything being agreed the Government is expected to schedule a second vote for October. Mr Roche agreed it was not a great time to consult people because of the economic crisis.

He hoped that people would realise Ireland needed to be centrally involved with the EU and said that the country had already done itself very significant damage in terms of job creation.

“We know the US companies that needed reassurances after the last vote, but the problem is companies that have not asked and perhaps misinterpreted the situation and decided not to come to the country.”

He added that an increasing number of people are realising that saying no is not cost-free and were anxious for an opportunity to vote a second time.

Czech foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg said he believed all countries would ratify the treaty, including the Czech parliament. The Eurosceptic president Vaclav Klaus, who lost his challenge to the treaty in the Supreme Court, said he would sign it if Ireland ratified, removing fears he would refer it back to the court again.