Bid to iron out Lisbon guarantees

IRISH officials are holding bilateral meetings over the weekend with representatives from other EU member states to iron out any difficulties over the Lisbon Treaty guarantees.

The guarantees – on neutrality, ethical issues including abortion, tax rates and social issues including workers rights – will be added to the rerun of the Lisbon vote later this year.

The leaders of the other EU member states agreed last December to the other commitment to Ireland – that every country retains its Commissioner. However, this can only apply if the Lisbon Treaty comes into force.

The European Council lawyers representing the member states have been working with the Irish Government’s legal service drawing up the wording of the guarantees.

Drafts are nearing completion and the Government has invited diplomats from the other member states to meet over the weekend and during next week to discuss them, according to an EU official.

The only issue expected to be contentious is that of workers’ rights as Britain in particular has been wary of agreeing to anything that might impact on its employer-friendly laws.

As a result, it has opted out of the Charter of Fundamental rights for fear it would give workers rights on striking.

For this reason the wording of the Irish guarantee draws heavily on existing agreements in this area and Irish diplomats are reassuring their counterparts that it will not affect their domestic law.

This will also be in the form of a declaration that in effect restates the existing situation but will not be legally binding.

The ethical, neutrality and tax clauses will all be protocols which are legally binding. There will be reaffirmation that each country retains its veto on any changes to its tax system including corporation tax rates.

The protocol on neutrality will reinforce the existing fact that nobody can force Ireland to relinquish its neutrality but there is unlikely to be an opt-out from the European Defence Agency as suggested by the Green Party.

This agency tries to co-ordinate purchases and manufacture of military equipment to ensure that EU military can work together on operations.

The triple lock will remain in force – Oireachtas, UN and government agreement before Irish troops can take part in peace keeping duties but is likely to be reinforced with greater Oireachtas oversight.