Use presidency to discuss core values

It is with pleasure that I have read in your newspaper coverage of the Irish EU presidency, but you are missing one of the big news stories.

The negotiations for a new, multi-annual budget for the European Union have had little or no media coverage, and have taken place in a vacuum.

Yet, these negotiations will be one of the biggest political decisions of the coming years.

European leaders are using the next few weeks to fix the EU’s priorities between now and 2020, by agreeing a multi-annual budget for 2014-2020.

They will do so under Irish leadership, through the EU Presidency.

We owe it to ourselves, as citizens of the country charged with brokering agreement on the priorities — and as one of the countries affected by the outcomes — to generate more awareness and debate of the issues at stake.

We should use the EU presidency, and the EU budget, to discuss the core values and ideas for the future of Europe.

Our prosperity depends on the success of European cooperation, and on the EU’s role in promoting global stability.

We must champion a more equitable and sustainable Ireland and Europe, and ensure that the EU’s budget prioritises future-oriented areas and policies that make Europe work for people across the world.

Hans Zomer

Director

Dóchas

Lr Baggot Street

Dublin 2