EAPN Ireland and the Treaty
EAPN Ireland has engaged constructively with the debate around the Lisbon Treaty and the Future of Europe generally. Below are a number of publications and resources from EAPN Ireland.
- EAPN Ireland Submission to the Houses of the Oireachtas
Sub-Committee on Ireland’s future in the European Union
- 3rd November 2008 - EAPN Ireland Lisbon Treaty Project Report and Members Survey shows that 70% of those who voted ‘No’ did so because of lack of Social Progress. Read the Press Release issued on 21st July 2008 the day President Sarkozy visited Ireland to try to understand the reasons for the Irish ‘No’ vote.
- ‘No’ vote highlights people’s belief that the EU is not addressing their social needs - EAPN Ireland Press Release 12th June 2008.
- EAPN Ireland Review on Lisbon Treaty March 2008
- EAPN Ireland Press Release on the outcomes of the European Council meeting
- Transcript of discussion on EAPN Ireland submission in the National Forum on Europe , 13 April 2005
- Press Release EAPN Ireland challenges Barroso to rebuild confidence in social Europe
- An essay published by the (UK) Federal Trust on “Ireland’s National Forum on Europe” says (page 18) “A notable example of the value of this interaction (between politicians and civil society) arose from the plenary session on 23 October 2003, when the representative of the European Anti-Poverty Network made a direct request to the Taoiseach to seek an amendment to Article III-2 of the Draft Treaty which would highlight the fight against social exclusion. The Taoiseach requested draft wording, which was provided on the spot. The wording was tabled at the IGC and included in the final text of the Constitutional Treaty.”
- A booklet on “What the Constitutional Treaty Means: the Economic and Social Dimension, by Tony Brown, Institute of European Affairs (2005) says: “the so-called ‘Social Clause’ (Article III-117) was perhaps the most important achievement of the IGC (Inter-Governmental Conference) in respect of social policy. It requires the EU, in defining and implementing all of its policies to “take into account requirements linked to the promotion of a high level of employment, the guarantee of adequate social protection, the fight against social exclusion and a high level of education, training and protection of human health.” The reference in the article to ‘social exclusion’ was inserted on the proposal of the Irish government following the intervention of the European Anti-Poverty Network at the (Irish) National Forum on Europe.
- Case study on ‘how Irish anti-poverty groups influenced the EU Constitutional Treaty’ published in ‘Including the Excluded: From Practice to Policy in European Community Development’, by Paul Henderson, CEBSD and Policy Press, September 2004
