Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-07-21-Speech-3-015"
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"en.20040721.1.3-015"2
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"Mr President, I would like to join my colleagues in congratulating the Taoiseach, Mr Bertie Ahern, and the Irish Government, for their tremendously successful presidency. It is one which has delivered on important political initiatives that were stalled or delayed for so long under previous presidencies. The most moving sight during the Irish presidency was the raising of the flags of our ten new partner countries at Aras an Uachtarain, the home of the Irish President. That image represents the final lifting of the artificial barriers that separated eastern and western Europe for so long.
Taoiseach, you have proven your skills as a negotiator, as somebody who understands the difficulties each country faces, particularly when discussing the Constitution. You were able to find a way for those countries to ensure that their vital national interests were not overturned or upset, in particular as regards the doctrine of conferral within that Treaty, clarifying the issues of subsidiarity and proportionality, as well as ensuring the continuation of equality between all Member States and in the application of the rules. These are very important issues for the continuing development and growth of the European Union.
I fully commend you, Taoiseach, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Brian Cowen, for all your work on this. I also want to mention the Minister for European Affairs, Mr Dick Roche, who here in Parliament was so open to meeting with individuals and political groups, who engaged fully with all Members on any issues or discussions that needed to be carried out - not only with regard to the Treaty, but also with regard to ongoing political developments here within Parliament. He is an example to other Ministers for European Affairs who come to this Parliament as regards how best to engage and obtain Parliament's support.
I would also like to mention - as I have on previous occasions in this House - the role of Ambassador Anne Anderson and the Irish civil service. They have proven their efficiency and professionalism in bringing together different ideas and ensuring that there was a seamless run from the very start to the very end of the presidency, with full delivery of all the commitments and promises made. Indeed, their vigour, their enthusiasm, and most importantly, their all-round good humour in dealing with difficult issues should be recognised.
These new roles – of selling the Treaty, of ensuring that the citizens understand its benefits and of ensuring that we show the peoples of Europe that it does not undermine their own national interests – will help us guarantee that the European Union functions smoothly. They ensure that there is equality between all the Member States and help us to guarantee that we can move forward within a framework suitable for further building and a more efficient operation of the Union as we enlarge even further.
During the presidency many important summits took place. The biggest and most important of all was the EU-US summit which took place in County Clare. This was the first step in rebuilding the relationship between the US and the European Union. Many people in America now recognise that unilateralism is not the way to go, that we require cooperation, not just in geopolitical terms but also in trade terms, and to ensure that the United Nations and other international bodies can operate effectively.
Taoiseach, I want to congratulate you on being able to bring forward a nominee for President of the Commission in Prime Minister Barroso. It was difficult to find somebody who could encapsulate all the desires and wishes of all the Member States, someone who will also have the necessary degree of independence to give proper political leadership to the Commission in the future. We have in Mr Barroso the ideal candidate. I hope there will be majority support for his nomination in the House tomorrow, and I am delighted that our group will be fully endorsing and supporting his nomination for Commission President.
Finally, Taoiseach, you deserve a rest after all your hard work. Minister Roche deserves a boost after all his work and, most importantly of all, the civil servants deserve not only a good pat on the back, but also perhaps a few extra euros as a result of the new agreements!"@en1
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