General

This year the EU celebrated 60 years since its foundation, 44 of which Ireland has been a Member  The Committee heard that the European Union has been the “world’s most successful peace process” , with concrete financial advantages for Members, and success in creating a Single Market, in creating uniform standards, in recognising shared values, in improving working conditions and rights for women, in promoting a solidarity that manifested itself by financially supporting regions that needed assistance to catch-up with average standards as well as many more benefits.

Irish citizens continue to strongly endorse Ireland’s membership of the European Union. The recent Red C opinion poll commissioned for European Movement Ireland90 shows that 88% of all adults who were asked, agreed that ‘Ireland should remain a part of the EU’ and 87% agreed that ‘taking everything into consideration, Ireland has on balance, benefited from being a member of theEU’. The most recent Eurobarometer on Public Opinion in the European Union asked citizens what kind of image they have of the EU.

Ireland was one of seven Member States where a positive image was predominant with 55% of those who answered believing that the EU was positive, 31% were neutral and only 13% had a negative image. The Committee heard that Ireland is, and should be, fully committed to its membership of the EU; that Ireland is settled as a fully active Member State and that the EU is a central part of how Ireland interacts with the global stage and how Ireland has contributed to the world. The EU-level can be a more effective way of addressing some of the complex, cross-cutting challenges that present themselves in the modern world and Ireland recognises this.

In the immediate aftermath of the British referendum to leave the EU, many expressed a fear that it was the beginning of the EU slowly disintegrating. That potential seems to have waned more recently. Indeed both in Member States that have very recently had general elections, and others, EU leaders are now defending the EU with greater passion. The UK leaving the EU will of course change the Union, and most witnesses to the Committee who spoke on this issue, believed that the EU would be weakened by the departure of the UK. But, the Committee also heard that this is the time for Ireland to work “to make the EU more effective, and more visibly democratic.”

Like all organisations and bodies, the EU needs to ensure that it has a shared vision for the future, it needs to renew itself and for Member States to re-commit to their active engagement in determining its future direction. In order to do that, the EU has begun a process to support an open debate across the EU to create a strong EU with a post-Brexit identity.

The process began with the publication of a White Paper on the Future of the EU, which is being followed by Reflection Papers on the Social Dimension of Europe, Harnessing Globalisation, Deepening of the Economic and Monetary Union, the Future of European Defence, and the future of EU finances.

The process of engagement is due to take place across all Member States and take a number of months, with significant milestones in December 2017 and at the European Parliament General Elections in June 2019. The White Paper itself is reflective and in order to spark discussion, presents a number of different scenarios and ultimately asks “what future do we want for ourselves, for our children and for our Union?”

While the majority of Irish citizens support continued membership and strong engagement with the EU, the Committee also heard an alternative view: that most of the problems “resulting from Brexit would be avoided if Ireland left the European Union at or around the same time as the UK”. The reasons given for this position were that leaving the EU would save the State money, give Ireland back control of valuable sea fisheries, give Ireland control of Irish law-making, give Ireland back a national currency, avoid implementing a new partition of Ireland and make eventual Irish reunification more difficult

Potential Solutions

Future of Europe debate

– That all stakeholders in Ireland take full part in the ‘Future of Europe’ process.

– That the Government consider holding an All-Island Civic Dialogue on the Future of Europe as part of the engagement process following the White Paper.

– While Ireland should not advocate for any Treaty Reform, the possibility of Reform, even if

it includes Treaty amendment, should remain possible.

Citizens involvement

– That the Government consider holding an All-Island Civic Dialogue on the Future of Europe every year so that citizens and stakeholders can increase their ongoing involvement and participation in Ireland’s EU involvement.

Prepare for a post-Brexit EU

– That the Government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, continue to deepen   existing alliances with like-minded Member States.

– The Houses of the Oireachtas should increase the level of engagement between national parliaments of Members States, initially focused on parliaments from like-minded Member States

– Continue to use Embassy network effectively

Future of Europe Debate

The Committee agrees with a number of the speakers on the positive and profound role that the EU has played in Ireland and in seeing Ireland’s future as being a Member State of the EU. But no organisation can live solely on past glories and cannot rely on looking backwards.

The Committee  welcomed the structured approach of the White Paper Future of Europe debate as an opportunity to ensure that the EU is ‘future-proofed’ and is relevant now and into the future. While the Committee shared the opinion of many Irish citizens that on balance the EU has been positive, the Committee believes that there have been a number of moments and issues where the EU’s approach needed to be more effective and creative in seeking solutions.

The Committee believes that it is now an appropriate time to consider, in some depth, what kind of EU Ireland and its citizens want to be part of. While the debate and engagement considerations should be led by the European Commission, European Parliament and Governments of the Member States, this process needs to be open, frank and involve all stakeholders.

The process needs to consider, in some substance, how the EU can best address the substantial, complex crises that are there now, that can predictably be seen to occur in the future and be capable of responding to those challenges which cannot be predicted at the moment. The EU that Ireland renews its commitment to needs to be relevant now and into the future, capable of being adaptive and planning for the very long-term. There are so many stakeholders and organisations that operate on a European basis, that interact with similar organisations abroad or that may believe that the EU is too distant and not relevant to their work. All of them have something to add and an important contribution to make to the debate.

The Committee heard about, and some Members of the Committee participated in, some of recently held All-Island Civic Dialogues. The Committee heard that they were a positive structure and way of supporting civic engagement and believes that it would be useful to hold an additional meeting to consider the Future of the EU.

It is too early to predict and pre-empt what will emerge from the Future of Europe debate, and what priorities Irish citizens will see for the future. The Committee heard that it is possible that some types of change and reform could necessitate amending the Treaties. While the Committee does not believe that this should be encouraged or sought; if Treaty change is necessary, it should not be avoided.

Citizens Involvement

The Committee believes that the EU needs to be more visibly democratic, deliver for citizens and be seen to deliver for citizens. While Irish politicians, businesses, civil servants, and larger

representative bodies are often comfortable with how the EU works, that level of confidence is not shared by many citizens. While there are pathways for citizens to engage with the EU, they are often not known or not understood and the Committee is of the opinion that there is a perception that the EU doesn’t always listen to citizens and the depth of their concerns and when it does, it is not responsive.

The EU of the future needs to be brought closer to citizens and needs to have real and responsive ways of engagement. The Committee believes that an All-Island Civic Dialogue should be held not just this year (as part of the engagement process), but on an annual basis, giving citizens and civic organisations an on-going opportunity to input in how Ireland engages with the EU.

Engagement on EU matters, whether specific or general, should not solely be part of campaigns (for example around Treaty Referenda), but there should be increased structural engagement with the public regularly.

Prepare for a post-Brexit EU

The UK leaving will change the EU. The EU would need to be considering its future pathways in any event, but the withdrawal of the UK will itself change the nature of the EU. At the same time the EU will be considering its long-term future, pursuing further integration strategies and the ordinary work of the EU in updating existing legislation and developing support programmes will continue.

All of this will be happening alongside the withdrawal negotiations. Brexit can be considered a catalyst to strengthen strategies already developed, including:

– To deepen alliances with other Members States and explore any new synergies.

– To play a full, active role in the EU’s development and work with partners on priority issues;and

– To engage on all issues of concern to other Member States, even if Ireland is less impacted.

The Houses of the Oireachtas itself can play a role in continuing to develop and strengthen relationships and links with other national parliaments. The Committee believes that it is important that Ireland continues to use its Embassy network effectively. The Committee heard from a number of witnesses of the strength of the efforts made by Irish diplomats in engaging with European partners right across the European Union and support that work for the duration of the Brexit negotiations and beyond.

This Article draws on Seanad Special Select Committee Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union Brexit: Implications and Potential Solutions June 2017. Irish public sector information is reproduced pursuant to PSI Licence; Conditions of Re-Use of Public Sector Information. The Legal Materials contain Irish Public Sector Information licensed under the Irish Licence which is at http://circulars.gov.ie/pdf/circular/per/2016/12.pdf.

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