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European Movement Ireland

May 17, 2012
14:58
PRESS RELEASE: “Europe Needs New ‘New Deal’”, According to ICTU Leader David Begg
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Recovery in Europe is both an economic and social goal

Speaking at a public Fiscal Treaty Information Forum organised by Irish not-for-profit organisation European Movement Ireland in Dublin this morning, David Begg, General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), said that he expects that the Fiscal Treaty is going to be passed but that it is going to be passed reluctantly. According to Mr. Begg, what we really need now in Europe is a “new ‘New Deal’”. He expressed his belief that Europe is on course to becoming increasingly more integrated and “we [Ireland] can’t afford to be left without a seat when the music stops”.

Senator Jillian van Turnhout opened this morning’s Forum, which was chaired by journalist and broadcaster, Margaret E. Ward, and featured contributions from a number of high-profile speakers.

Jim Power, economist and commentator, challenged the view that a ‘No’ vote in the forthcoming referendum would be a vote against austerity. Rather, he argued that a rejection of the Treaty would force Irish citizens into a position where we “discover what austerity really means”. According to Mr. Power, the negative fallout from a ‘No’ vote would mean economic and financial suicide for Ireland. He asked: “Why throw away the progress that has been made so far with a ‘No’ vote?”

Also contributing to today’s Forum was businesswoman, Glenna Lynch, who argued that a ‘No’ vote on 31 May would force Europe to pay more than “democratic lip service” to its citizens. Ms. Lynch challenged the assertion that a ‘Yes’ vote was a vote for stability, stating that with the situation in Europe changing every minute, stability is “not on the menu”.

Closing this morning’s discussion, UCC lecturer and political analyst, Dr Jane Suiter, offered an overview and analysis of the direction of the referendum campaign to date. Dr Suiter also revealed Ireland’s poor performance in rankings of overall knowledge about Europe, claiming there is a lack of nuanced understanding among Irish citizens.

Speaking after the event EM Ireland Executive Director, Noelle O’Connell, said: “Here in European Movement Ireland we are calling on all sides in the Fiscal Treaty referendum discussion to engage in a reasoned and robust debate, based on the facts. This public Information Forum aimed to provide these facts so that voters will be able to actively participate and engage in the referendum process.”

Today’s Information Forum is part of EM Ireland’s ongoing Just the Facts Fiscal Treaty Information service. The full range of EM Ireland’s Just the Facts Fiscal Treaty material is available to download from www.europeanmovement.ie.

Ends.

Available for comment
EM Ireland’s Executive Director, Noelle O’Connell is available for comment. Please contact EM Ireland’s Communications Officer Jenny Flynn on 01 662 5815, 085 111 5826 or email jenny@europeanmovement.ie

About European Movement Ireland
Founded in 1974, European Movement Ireland is a not-for-profit, voluntary, membership-based organisation working to develop the connection between Ireland and Europe.
May 08, 2012
8:42
PRESS RELEASE: Ireland Ranks Second Overall for Ministerial Attendance at EU Council Meetings
» ‎ European Movement Ireland
Irish ministerial attendance far above other programme countries Portugal and Greece

Irish Minsters rank second overall for their attendance at EU Council meetings under the 31st Dáil in 2011, a new report by Irish NGO European Movement Ireland has shown. The Accountability Report 2011, released this morning in advance of Europe Day 2012, shows that Irish Ministers attended on average 86% of EU Council meetings in 2011, outperforming both France (79%) and Germany (61%). In fact Ireland’s ministerial attendance rate is above the average attendance rate of our European partners in eight out of the ten Council configurations, including the other EU countries also currently in EU-IMF bailout programmes: Greece (63%) and Portugal (55%).

EM Ireland’s Accountability Report 2011 acts as a ‘Report Card’; evaluating the level of Irish engagement in the EU by measuring a number of key statistical indicators including MEP and ministerial attendance, the level of scrutiny of EU legislation at a national level and the number of Irish contributions to the EU legislative process. The report also offers a comparison between the performance of the previous and current Irish governments in this area.

According to the authors of this report, these figures are encouraging from an Irish perspective. Noelle O’Connell, Executive Director of European Movement Ireland, commenting on the report this morning said: “One of the principal aims of EM Ireland is to facilitate debate and provide information on Ireland’s relationship with Europe. In light of this, the Accountability Report aims to shed light on how our elected politicians are conducting our EU business at home and abroad.

“If this report was graded like the Leaving Cert, our Ministers and MEPs would each get an A2, while our TDs would receive a B3 for their engagement with Europe. Individual, business and civil society input into the Commission consultation process would get a disappointing NG. Clearly, there is room for improvement at all levels, from the Institutional to the individual. By analysing the level of political and Institutional transparency and accountability, this report encourages our elected representatives to raise their level of engagement, both because it is necessary to do so and because the Irish people deserve no less.”

The EM Ireland Accountability Report 2011 is available to download by following this link.

Ends.

Key Findings of the Accountability Report 2011

Chapter 1 – Commission Consultations
- 23 Commissions consultations were reviewed for this report. The percentage of the total submissions to these 23 Consultations that originated in Ireland ranges from 0% to 5%; with an average of 0.9 %. This represents a decrease of 0.7% from the 2010 average of 1.6%
- From an Irish perspective, there is a clear opportunity for civil society/NGO and public opinion to have a stronger input into this stage of the European legislative procedure and EM Ireland looks forward to playing a leading role in facilitating this enhanced engagement
Chapter 2 – European Parliament
- Average Irish MEP attendance at plenary sessions stands at 85% for 2011. This is a decrease of 1% from 2010
- Irish MEPs asked 683 Parliamentary Questions in 2011. This is a drop from nearly 1,000 Parliamentary Questions during 2010
- Irish MEPs made a total of 727 speeches in the European Parliament in 2011. This is an increase of approximately 100 speeches from 2010
- There is Irish MEP representation on 14 of the 20 standing committees of the European Parliament
- During 2011, 5 reports were drawn up by an Irish MEP acting as Rapporteur
- Irish MEPs are represented on 15 out of 41 Parliamentary Delegations
Chapter 3 –European Council and Councils of the EU
- Ireland has an overall ministerial attendance rate at the meetings of the Council of the European Union of 86% with either a lead Minister or Junior Minister attending 61 out of a total of 71 meetings that took place once the 31st Dáil was in session in 2011. This is an increase of 9% from the data recorded from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2010
- Ireland ranks 2nd in terms of European ministerial attendance at Council
- Eight out of ten Council configurations have an Irish ministerial attendance rate of 80% or higher
- Ireland outperforms both France (79%) and Germany (61%) in terms of average attendance
- In comparing Ireland to the other EU Countries who are also in EU-IMF programmes, it can be seen that Ireland has the highest average ministerial attendance rate with 86%; Greece has an average ministerial attendance rate of 63% and Portugal’s rate stands at 55%
Chapter 4 – Oireachtas Engagement
- The Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs met a total of 17 times between 9 March 2011 and 31 December 2011 under the 31st Dáil
- The attendance record of members of the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs under the 31st Dáil from 9 March 2011-31 December 2011 was 71%
- Pre-Council briefings took place in relation to 3 out of the 11 General Affairs Meetings that took place between 9 March 2011 and 31 December 2011. This represents a percentage total of 27%
Ends.

Available for comment
EM Ireland’s Executive Director, Noelle O’Connell is available for interview and comment. Please contact EM Ireland’s Communications Officer, Jenny Flynn, on 01 662 5815 or 085 111 5836 or email jenny@europeanmovement.ie

Notes for Editors
Founded in 1954, European Movement Ireland is a not-for-profit, voluntary, membership-based organisation working to develop the connection between Irish people and the European Union.
May 03, 2012
14:50
Just the Facts: Fiscal Stability Treaty Info Forum
» ‎ European Movement Ireland
As part of EM Ireland's Just the Facts Information Service, we are delighted to invite you to attend an information forum on the Fiscal Stability Treaty

Venue
European Parliament Information Office in Ireland
EU House, 43 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2

Date
Thursday, 17 May 2012 at 10.00am
Registration from 9.30am

European Movement Ireland are pleased to host this public information session on the forthcoming referendum. This event will be an informed discussion of the facts of the Fiscal Stability Treaty, with a panel of speakers from the academic, business, economic and trade union sectors who will present their perspectives on the Treaty.

The information forum will be introduced by EM Ireland's Executive Director Noelle O’Connell and will be chaired by financial journalist and broadcaster Margaret E. Ward.
The panel of speakers will include:
- David Begg, General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions
- Glenna Lynch, Mimosa Interiors
- Jim Power, Economist
- Dr Jane Suiter, Lecturer, Researcher & Political Analyst
All are very welcome to attend this free event, however we do kindly request that you RSVP in advance.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Please RSVP to confirm your attendance at the Fiscal Stability Treaty Information Forum:
T: +353 1 662 5815 E: events@europeanmovement.ie
14:30
Diary Notice: Europe Day 2012
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

European Movement Ireland are delighted to invite you to an event marking Europe Day 2012 and the European Year of Intergenerational Solidarity and Active Aging

Date & Time
Friday, 11 May 2012 at 12.30pm

Venue
European Commission Representation
EU House, 18 Dawson Street, Dublin 2

Noelle O’Connell, Executive Director of EM Ireland will chair a discussion marking Europe Day 2012 and the European Year of Intergenerational Solidarity and Active Aging.

Presentations on the day from CEO of the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament, Mairéad Hayes; Session President of the 2010 Munster Conference of the European Youth Parliament Ireland, Anna O’Leary, and a representative from Age Action Ireland will provide diverse insights and intergenerational perspectives on life in the European Union.

All are very welcome to attend this free event. We look forward to seeing you there.

Please RSVP to confirm your attendance at this Europe Week event:
T: +353 1 662 5815 E: events@europeanmovement.ie
April 27, 2012
9:48
News: EM Ireland Spring 2012 eNewsletter
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Read all about EM Ireland's latest news and upcoming events in the Spring 2012 edition of the EM Ireland eNewsletter.

Download now
April 20, 2012
11:25
Diary Notice: Launch of the Accountability Report 2011
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Launch of the Accountability Report 2012

European Movement Ireland are delighted to invite you to the launch of the EM Ireland Accountability Report 2011

Date & Time
Tuesday, 8 May 2012 at 10.30am

Venue
The Boardroom
Buswells Hotel
23-25 Molesworth Street
Dublin 2

The second edition of the EM Ireland Accountability Report, which tracks and evaluates the level of Irish engagement in the EU in 2011, will be officially launched on Tuesday 8 May by former President of the European Parliament, Pat Cox.

Senior Lecturer in Law at University College Dublin, Dr Gavin Barrett will provide an academic critique of the Report’s findings while EM Ireland Executive Director, Noelle O’Connell will be on hand to address queries from members and the media on the findings of the Accountability Report 2011.

The launch will be chaired by EM Ireland Chairperson, Maurice Pratt

Please RSVP to research@europeanmovement.ie to confirm your attendance at this event.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Please RSVP to confirm your attendance at the launch of the Accountability Report 2011:
T: 01 662 5815 E: research@europeanmovement.ie

Learn more about the Accountability Campaign and download the Accountability Report 2010 by following this link
April 17, 2012
12:49
Diary Notice: Conference on Ireland’s Presidency of the EU January 1 to June 30 2013: Priorities and Challenges
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Diary Notice

Public Affairs Ireland and EM Ireland present a half-day conference on:

Ireland’s Presidency of the EU January 1 to June 30 2013: Priorities and Challenges

25 Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1
Wednesday 18 April 2012 9.00 – 1.00pm

Keynote speakers: Lucinda Creighton TD, Minister of State with special responsibility for European Affairs and Mr Staffan Nilsson, President European Economic Social Committee (EESC)

On January 1 2013 Ireland will assume the Presidency of the European Council for a six month term. This will be crucial in demonstrating Ireland’s ability to effectively manage the EU agenda in challenging and difficult times. It will also provide an opportunity for Ireland to enhance our reputation both with our European partners and internationally at a time when the country and the European economy generally is facing significant economic challenges.

On Wednesday, April 18 2012, the Minister for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton TD will be the keynote speaker at a special joint Public Affairs Ireland and European Movement Ireland conference on the Irish EU Presidency 2013. Minister Creighton will outline some of Ireland’s priorities for the EU Presidency and will be joined by other speakers with unique perspectives on the matter including the President of the European Economic Social Committee (EESC), Staffan Nilsson. Mr Nilsson will look at developments at an EU level and their likely impact on the Irish Presidency.

Areas which will be addressed include:
•   What will be the priorities for the Irish EU Presidency in 2013?
•   How is the Irish EU Presidency viewed from an EU perspective?
•   What logistical challenges will face Irish officials during the Presidency?
•   How can Ireland facilitate the coordination required between the relevant EU institutions on key policy areas?
•   What are the policy, legal and economic contexts that will underpin the Irish EU Presidency?
•   Is the Presidency an opportunity to enhance support in Ireland for the EU?

Making the opening address: Maurice Pratt, Chairman, European Movement Ireland

Other speakers include:
•   Geraldine Byrne Nason, Second Secretary General, Department of the Taoiseach;
•   David Byrne SC, former EU Commissioner, and former Attorney General;
•   Philip Lee, Partner, Philip Lee Solicitors;
•   Brendan Butler, Director, Policy and International Affairs, IBEC; and
•   Noelle O’Connell, Executive Director, European Movement Ireland.

For more information contact Don Bergin, Public Affairs Ireland on 087 6492961

Download the conference brochure by following this link.
April 05, 2012
15:51
Address to the Joint Oireachtas Affairs Committee
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Address to Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Sub-Committee on the Referendum on the Intergovernmental Treaty on Stability, Coordination & Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union
Noelle O Connell, Executive Director, European Movement Ireland
5 April 2012

PLEASE CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY

On behalf of European Movement Ireland, I’m pleased to have the opportunity to present here today and I would like to commend the Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs on this initiative. Given the time constraints, I would hope to present a synopsis of EM Ireland’s comprehensive and in-depth submission on the FST, which we previously submitted to the Committee following collaboration and consultation with our members. I know from following proceedings and having attended a number of these Committee sessions previously, that Committee members have had a number of excellent presentations and views on the Treaty from different groups. It’s hugely important that civil society organisations input into this process as well and as a not-for-profit, voluntary, membership-based organisation, in existence since 1954 and seeking, as we do, to increase the connection between Irish people and the EU, European Movement Ireland is extremely well placed to play such a role. To this extent, I intend to concentrate on what we believe is important in relation to this Treaty: namely that we as Irish citizens have a reasoned, robust debate, based on the facts, so that on the 1 June we’ll be able to say that an informed and fact-based debate took place, with a good level of information and explanation of the Treaty, so that all Irish citizens were able to actively participate and engage in the process.

Too often in Ireland referendum debates include other extraneous issues. It is of crucial importance that the issues surrounding this Treaty are presented clearly and factually to the Irish public in order to allow us all to make an informed decision on 31 May, which is in fact only 8 weeks from today. Therefore, we are calling on politicians, the media, and stakeholders to engage in a robust and informed discussion that is based on the facts; and there is a responsibility on all of us to ensure that such a debate takes place.   European Movement Ireland will be seeking to ensure an independent voice is heard in this debate by providing an independent, factual, non-governmental voice.   There is no doubt that the FST deals with quite complex fiscal rules, which let’s be frank, can be quite hard to explain, let alone understand, notwithstanding us all assuming a greater knowledge and comprehension of economic matters over the last number of years.

The goal of the FST is essentially to put into Irish national law rules about fiscal policy which already exist at the European level.   In fact, Professor Philip Lane from Trinity College Dublin points out that the rules in the FST are quite similar to those suggested in the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance and the Public Service Report on fiscal governance, published in November 2010. Equally, the Department of Finance Report of March 2011, outlining the Fiscal Responsibility Bill, contains quite similar terms.   This point is re-iterated by Dr Gavin Barrett from UCD, who presented to you yesterday, and who, in a recent Irish Times article, stated that: “In terms of its substance, the Fiscal Treaty adds very little to rules which have already been adopted at EU level, or (to a more limited extent) are in the course of being adopted or planned.”

So, why do we need a Treaty which does not introduce significant changes to the rules which already apply? Why put these rules into Irish national law when they already exist at the EU level? To answer these questions, we must firstly endeavour to understand a little about the history of applying fiscal rules in the EU. Many have pointed to weaknesses of the original policy framework in the Maastricht Treaty and the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP). While countries made a significant effort to apply the rules in order to qualify for membership of the euro, once inside, the degree of policy discipline weakened substantially – a phenomenon often referred to as ‘Maastricht fatigue’.   In particular, it became clear that applying and enforcing fiscal rules at the European level was problematic. By introducing EU rules into national law, the thinking is that it will be harder for countries – big or small – to flout them. Therefore in principle, one would expect there to be a more equal application of the rules across all member states in relation to the Fiscal Stability Treaty.

One of the key reasons for the development of the FST is to protect all European countries, including Ireland, from the potential harm of financial contagion from another member state. It is pertinent to note that a number of non-Eurozone countries have signed up to the FST, including Sweden (one of the first to sign up) – a country with a generous welfare state that also paid a high price for poorly managed public finances in the past. The FST is essentially a two-way process to protect countries, including Ireland, from detrimental policies being pursued in other member states, with the same rules being agreed by all participating countries. A greater domestic commitment from each of our European partners to commit to the fiscal rules laid down in the FST will serve as a mechanism to build trust between EU countries and create a stepping stone from which we and our European partners, can start looking at ensuring that a crisis, such as that which Ireland has experienced over the past few years, will not occur again.

In relation to Ireland, it is crucial to point out one fundamental difference between this Treaty and previous Treaties that related to European legislation.   I’m sure that you’ve already been briefed on this extensively but from a citizen’s point of view, it’s crucial that the general public are made aware of this fact. The FST clearly states that in order for the Treaty to come into force, ratification is required from 12 of the 17 Eurozone countries. Therefore if Ireland does not ratify this Treaty, it will still proceed as of 1 January 2013 if 70 per cent of Eurozone countries have ratified it. It is important to highlight this point: Ireland alone cannot stop the FST from proceeding and our European partners can carry on without us, with the rest of the Eurozone possibly moving ahead with closer economic integration. Whilst we might remain formally a Euro member, it is arguable that, having decided not to adopt all of the rules that apply to the Eurozone, our influence and voice could be greatly diminished.

This Treaty is a step in efforts to rebuild the economic and financial system of the Eurozone and to rebuild the Irish economy. The evolution of EU policy towards a strategy for growth and jobs is dependent on the creation of confidence in the capacity of the Eurozone to follow sustainable and responsible policies and to rule out any return to the mismanagement of recent years.

This Treaty is not, by any means, a panacea for all the ills and economic challenges that are facing Ireland, the Eurozone and our fellow EU member states. Nonetheless, it could be a considered a step on the journey to ensuring that the European Union, including Ireland, has safeguards in place to deal with any global economic turmoil like that which we have experienced since the end of the last decade.

It behoves us all to ensure that the debate on both sides surrounding the FST puts us, as Irish citizens, in the best possible position to make an informed and considered opinion on the Treaty on 31 May. Too often following a referendum, opinion polls state that a principal factor in people a) not voting or b) not feeling that they had sufficient knowledge and understanding of the facts to make an informed decision, was down to a lack of information and understanding of the facts. Ireland is in a unique position in that we, as citizens, have an opportunity to make a decision on this crucial matter – with this opportunity however, comes rights and responsibilities.

Nobody can deny that Ireland has been through an economically traumatic period in the last number of years. This referendum represents a real opportunity for all Irish citizens to engage in the debate and decisions about the future direction and form of our relationship with the EU. Since our foundation as an organisation in 1954, this is something that we in EM Ireland passionately believe in and work towards every day, not only on Referendum day, and will continue to do so over the coming weeks and months.
April 02, 2012
12:04
Press Release: European Movement Ireland welcomes official launch of European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI)
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Issue Date: Monday, 2 April 2012
Press Queries: Jenny Flynn, Communications Officer, EM Ireland
T: 01 662 5815 E: jenny@europeanmovement.ie

European Movement Ireland welcomes official launch of European Citizens’ Initiative

Dublin, 2 April 2012: Yesterday, Sunday 1 April 2012, marked the launch of the European Citizens’ Initiative, the EU’s new democratic tool allowing one million citizens from across Europe to come together on an issue that is important to them, and ask the Commission to do something about it. Speaking about the ECI in Dublin this morning, European Movement Ireland Executive Director, Noelle O’Connell, said:

“EM Ireland welcomes yesterday’s official launch of the European Citizens’ Initiative. For the first time, citizens will be able to directly ask the European Commission to bring forward new EU legislation in areas where it is competent to act. This represents an important new form of collective action at a European level. The ECI has the potential to become a key means of empowering citizens across the EU to actively engage and input into the agenda setting and policy-making procedures of the EU. Now that the regulation is in force, EU citizens will be able influence decisions in a more direct way and EM Ireland welcomes this opportunity to increase the connection between Irish citizens and the EU. It is clear that the ECI will also help to strengthen democracy in the EU through promoting active citizenship, while also increasing connections and partnerships with European Civil Society organisations. European Movement Ireland looks forward to playing a key role in providing information about the ECI in Ireland and promoting awareness of this transnational democratic tool.”

Ends.

About the European Citizens’ Initiative
The Lisbon Treaty introduced a new form of public participation in European Union policy shaping, the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI). The ECI allows 1 million citizens from at least one quarter of the EU Member States to invite the European Commission to bring forward proposals for legal acts in areas where the Commission has the power to do so. The organisers of a Citizens' Initiative, a citizens' committee composed of at least 7 EU citizens who are resident in at least 7 different Member States, will have 1 year to collect the necessary statements of support. The number of statements of support has to be certified by the competent authorities in the Member States. The Commission will then have 3 months to examine the initiative and decide how to act on it.

To read the approved text on the ECI regulation, please click here.

For more information on the ECI register, the rules and how to launch your initiative, please click here.
March 27, 2012
16:38
Press Release: EM Ireland calls for debate based on the facts in run up to Fiscal Stability Treaty Referendum
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Issue Date: Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Press Queries: Jenny Flynn, Communications Officer, European Movement Ireland
T: 01 662 5815 E: jenny@europeanmovement.ie

EM Ireland calls for debate based on the facts in run up to Fiscal Stability Treaty Referendum

European Movement Ireland welcomes this afternoon’s announcement by An Tanáiste, Eamon Gilmore TD, of a date for the forthcoming Fiscal Stability Treaty Referendum. Following on from the Attorney General’s advice to insert a new clause into the Irish constitution between subsections 9 and 10 of Article 29.4 allowing the State to ratify the deal within certain parameters, a Bill leading to the referendum is currently being prepared and will be published at the end of this week.

Speaking in Dublin this afternoon, EM Ireland Executive Director, Noelle O’Connell, acknowledged clarification of the date of the referendum, stating:
“This afternoon’s announcement that the referendum on the Fiscal Stability Treaty will take place on 31 May 2012 is to be welcomed. EM Ireland is calling on those involved on all sides of the debate to ensure that a reasoned, robust and informed discussion, based on the facts and on the actual content of the Fiscal Stability Treaty, takes place in the run up to the referendum on 31 May.
European Movement Ireland looks forward to continuing to engage with Irish citizens in the coming weeks to promote reasoned, fair debate on European issues and to encourage Irish engagement at a European level.”

Ends.

Available for comment
EM Ireland’s Executive Director, Noelle O’Connell is available for comment. Please contact call 01 662 5815 or email info@europeanmovement.ie
March 23, 2012
11:25
BLOG: Goodbye and Good Luck
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

March 2012

Sadly this is the final installment of my blog as a trainee at the European Court of Auditors. My sojourn at the EU’s external audit Institution came to an end last week and what a week it was, but more on that later.

After Christmas the relatively mild winter had disappeared and I returned to an ice cold Luxembourg. There’s nothing like -10 degrees to wake you up on the way to the bus. One of the first meetings of the New Year was to the Budget Committee of the Council of the European Union. This was a chance for the Court to present its findings on various issues during the year. It’s not usual that a Member of the Court would attend, however Eoin took part in order to answer questions in relation to the EU Agencies.

The final audit of my stage took place at the European Institute for Gender Equality in Vilnius. This was both a mission 1 and mission 2 combined due to the small size of the agency so we were auditing the budget as well as payments, procurement and recruitment. This was around the time that the whole of Europe seemed to freeze over – there is nothing like waking up to -22 degrees outside... You can’t really stop on the street you have to keep moving! Apart from the cold, Vilnius was a really nice place and the food was amazing, although I tried and did not like the traditional dumplings, much to the dismay of my Lithuanian colleague back in Luxembourg!

Before the end of the mandate, there were two reports being finished up in the Cabinet. The first was a benchmarking report involving the majority of the agencies and the second a conflict of interest report on four of the agencies. Both reports had caught the attention of the MEPs in the Parliament as, in austere times, anything is up for the chop. The benchmarking report was picked up by the European media and it was interesting to see the way they reported the findings. Our final day of work for the Court was to a meeting of the Budgetary Control Committee of the Parliament in Brussels. Prior to this meeting the MEP in charge of dealing with the agencies had issued a strongly worded draft report and its content was quite rightly disputed by the Court and the agencies. The meeting was a chance to set the record straight and no doubt a wholly different final report will be issued by the Committee in due course.

And so we come to the final days of my stage, it was hard to say goodbye to Luxembourg, my fellow trainees and of course the Cabinet who had looked after me so well since my arrival. Like I said previously, a stage is like Erasmus but you get paid, I can’t think of a better situation! But now, like Erasmus I am suffering from post-stage blues. I can guarantee you that I had a once in a lifetime stage experience and for that I am so grateful to Eoin and the Court for letting me in the door in the first place! Eoin said he wanted to have a good ‘Last Supper’ before we left mainland Europe, so the night before Parliament he brought me and some colleagues to for dinner. The meal was amazing, the highlight was the dessert - chocolate, of course! The following evening while waiting for the flight home we dined at Brussels airport’s finest (the only one open) restaurant, Quick Burger – as I sat there eating the worst burger mankind has ever made I realised I was a trainee and this food was more on budget!

So there you have it, 5 months ago I headed to the Lux with no idea what adventures the Court of Auditors would throw my way. I have learnt an incredible amount about the EU Institutions and the politics that fuels them, as well as the nuts and bolts of the Courts work in auditing. I can only hope that this blog will encourage others to apply for a stage, in any of the Institutions. Don’t worry about the languages, you will get by no problem, just apply; there’s no harm in applying! Whether you’re in college, recently graduated, currently looking for work or happily employed and fancy a secondment in Europe – a stint in the EU is a great learning experience. There are also full time jobs on offer at the moment as well, all the info is available here www.eu-careers.eu. The EU is a great place to work and the Irish do well so you might as well give it a shot.

All that’s left for me is to say a huge thank you to all at European Movement for the opportunity they gave me and their support throughout the stage, to Eoin and the Cabinet for their generosity and guidance and to the EU for being a great place to work. On my last night in the Lux, when I realised I wouldn’t be there for St. Patrick’s Day and that my European friends needed to embrace our culture I decided to teach them the Siege of Ennis in the middle of the main square, with help from an Irish tune on my iPod. Now it wasn’t an award winning routine and the music was the jig from Titanic...but that’s European integration at its best!

That’s all folks!

MC
February 28, 2012
17:42
Press Release: EM Ireland calls for reasoned, robust and informed debate in run up to Fiscal Compact Treaty Referendum
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Issue Date: Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Press Queries: Jenny Flynn, Communications Officer, European Movement Ireland
T: 01 662 5815 M: 085 111 5836 E: jenny@europeanmovement.ie

EM Ireland calls for reasoned, robust and informed debate in run up to Fiscal Compact Treaty Referendum

European Movement Ireland acknowledges the announcement by the Taoiseach this afternoon, following the advice of the Attorney General, that a referendum will be required in order to ratify the EU Fiscal Compact Treaty in Ireland.

Speaking in Dublin this afternoon, EM Ireland Executive Director, Noelle O’Connell, commented on the decision by the Attorney General, stating:
“This afternoon’s announcement that a referendum will be required in order to ratify the European Fiscal Compact Treaty here demands that a reasoned and robust debate takes place. It cannot be denied that Ireland’s relationship with Europe has experienced significant challenges in recent times however this referendum represents an important opportunity for Ireland to reaffirm its commitment to Europe and engage in a meaningful discussion on European issues. It is of vital importance that the issues surrounding this referendum are presented clearly and factually to the Irish public in order to allow us to make an informed decision. European Movement Ireland looks forward to continuing to engage with Irish citizens in the coming weeks and months to promote reasoned, fair debate on European issues.”

Ends

Available for comment
EM Ireland’s Executive Director, Noelle O’Connell is available for comment. Please contact call 01 662 5815 or email jenny@europeanmovement.ie
February 21, 2012
13:06
Invitation: Brussels Connection March 2012
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Brussels Connection Event

Date & Time
Monday, 12 March 2012, 6.30pm

Venue
Kitty O'Shea's Pub and Restaurant 42 Boulevard Charlemagne, 1040 Brussels

Timed to coincide with the arrival of a brand new class of Irish stagiaires to the city,
this event presents an excellent opportunity for the Irish network in Brussels to re-connect. Brussels Connection allows old friends to catch-up, and affords new Irish stagiaires the opportunity to get to know each other and to meet with Irish officials and experts from all areas of work in Brussels in a relaxed and informal environment.

All are very welcome on the night, so please do feel free to circulate this invitation, though we do kindly request that you register your attendance in advance.

We look forward to seeing you there.

If you have any questions, or would like to RSVP for Brussels Connection, please contact the EM Ireland team on:
T: 01 662 5815 E: events@europeanmovement.ie

Download a PDF version of the invitation here.
February 15, 2012
11:49
Invitation: European Citizens' Initiative Information Seminar
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

European Citizens’ Initiative: Information Seminar

Date & Time
Monday 5 March 2012, 11.00am – 1.00pm
Registration and light refreshments from 10.30am

Venue
Bedford Hall, Dublin Castle, Dame Street, Dublin 2

Please note the changed time for this event

In advance of the launch of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) in April 2012, this EM Ireland information seminar will outline how you & your organisation can make your voices heard in Brussels & be brought closer to the EU decision-making process.

EM Ireland Vice-Chair, Senator Jillian Van Turnhout, & President of EM Latvia & Member of the Group III of the European Economic & Social Committee, Mr Andris Gobiņš, will brief participants on the ECI & what it will mean in Ireland.

Minister of State for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton TD, will also address participants at this event regarding the upcoming ECI tool & the opportunity it presents for Irish citizens to engage with legislation formation at a European level.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Note: The Citizens' Initiative will take effect on 1 April 2012. One million EU citizens from at least seven countries will be able to call on the European Commission to make laws on matters covered by the EU Treaties, for example the environment, agriculture, transport or public health. Organisers will have one year to gather one million signatures from at least seven EU countries, including a minimum threshold from each country.

Please note that space for this event is limited and places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information on this event, please contact the EM Ireland team.

Please RSVP by Friday 2 March to confirm your attendance: T: 01 662 5815   E: info@europeanmovement.ie

Download a PDF version of this invitation here
February 09, 2012
15:10
Press Release: Taoiseach and Minister Creighton Launch new Blue Star Programme for Primary Schools
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Press Notice from the Government Press Office
7 February 2012

Taoiseach and Minister Creighton Launch new Blue Star Programme for Primary Schools

This afternoon, the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD and Minister of State for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton TD launched a new pilot programme for primary schools which focuses on the EU, called the Blue Star Programme.
The idea of the Programme is simple, to foster better understanding and knowledge of the European Union and how it affects our lives amongst Irish primary pupils through classroom projects and activities. The Blue Star Programme will introduce participants - pupils, teachers, parents and the wider community to the EU, what it means and how it works. Primary Schools all over Ireland will be challenged to get creative and think about Europe by carrying out projects in relation to the History, Geography, Culture and Institutions of the EU.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said at the launch:
“I very much welcome this imaginative and timely initiative. Over the past forty years, our membership of the European Union has helped to transform Irish life and at the same time has allowed Ireland to play an active and constructive role on the wider European stage. The EU remains central to our economic and social development and it is vital that our citizens understand how the European Union works and how it can guarantee our freedoms and prosperity in the future.”

Minister of State for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton also said:
“Eleven months ago, when I was appointed by the Taoiseach as Minister for European Affairs, I made the goal of informing young Irish people about Europe and Ireland's' engagement with Europe, a key priority of mine. There is an information

and communication deficit in Ireland when it comes to Europe, yet European affairs impact on every aspect of our lives. We need to cultivate an interest in and understanding of European history, culture and the EU institutions amongst the Irish people. The first step is getting children involved and I believe that the Blue Star programme, which I have pioneered through the Dept of An Taoiseach, provides and excellent formula for this. I believe that pupils will really enjoy connecting with the cultures and histories of other countries and the whole school community can benefit from discovering their role in Europe.”

All participating primary schools will be provided with a resource pack and resource materials such as wall-charts and EU country guides which give tips on what kind of projects the pupils could undertake and help the teacher in how best to facilitate the pupils. At the end of the school year all successful schools will be awarded an EU flag and a Blue Star.

Primary schools across Ireland are invited to take part in the Pilot Year of this exciting new project, further information available via www.europeanmovement.ie or bluestar@europeanmovement.ie.

Ends.

Notes for Editors
The Blue Star Programme is supported by the Communicating Europe Initiative, and the Office of the Minister of State for European Affairs in the Department of the Taoiseach and the European Commission Representation in Ireland. European Movement Ireland is the National Coordinator for the Pilot Year of this Programme.

Learn more about the Blue Star Programme by following this link to the Blue Star page on the EM Ireland website.
February 03, 2012
15:22
News: EM Ireland Winter 2011 eNewsletter
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Read all about EM Ireland's latest news and upcoming events in the Read all of Winter 2011 edition of the EM Ireland eNewsletter.

Download now
February 02, 2012
16:53
Ireland’s Presidency of the EU - Priorities and Challenges
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Ireland Presidency of the EU - Priorities and Challenges
A Joint EM Ireland - Public Affairs Ireland Conference

Date & Time
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the date of EM Ireland - PAI conference has been changed. Details of the new date are currently being finalised and full information will available shortly. If you would like any further information in the meantime, please contact events@europeanmovement.ie.

Venue
Westin Hotel, 35 - 39 Westmoreland Street, Dublin 2

Price
EM Ireland Members /PAI Subscribers Price: €175.00 + VAT @23%
Single Delegate Price: €195.00 + VAT @23%

Download the Conference Brochure here

Keynote Speaker
Lucinda Creighton TD, Minister of State for European Affairs

Ireland assumes the Presidency of the EU on 1 January 2013. With so many issues dominating the EU and Eurozone agendas at present, it looks like this Presidency will be an extremely busy time for an Irish public service already under strain in the current difficult economic climate.

This conference, organised by EM Ireland with Public Affairs Ireland, will be addressing some of the issues, priorities and challenges likely to arise during Ireland’s rotation as Council President.

Register your place at this event by following this link to the PAI website. Full details of conference speakers will shortly be available at www.europeanmovement.ie.
16:53
Invitation: Ireland’s Presidency of the EU - Priorities and Challenges
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Ireland Presidency of the EU - Priorities and Challenges
A Joint EM Ireland - Public Affairs Ireland Conference

Date & Time
Wednesday, 18 April 2012

Venue
25 Mountjoy Square East, Dublin 1

Price
EM Ireland Members /PAI Subscribers Price: €175.00 + VAT @23%
Single Delegate Price: €195.00 + VAT @23%

Download the Conference Brochure here

Keynote Speaker
Lucinda Creighton TD, Minister of State for European Affairs

Ireland assumes the Presidency of the EU on 1 January 2013. With so many issues dominating the EU and Eurozone agendas at present, it looks like this Presidency will be an extremely busy time for an Irish public service already under strain in the current difficult economic climate.

This conference, organised by EM Ireland with Public Affairs Ireland, will be addressing some of the issues, priorities and challenges likely to arise during Ireland’s rotation as Council President.

Register your place at this event by following this link to the PAI website. Full details of conference speakers will shortly be available at www.europeanmovement.ie.
January 18, 2012
10:34
Press Release: Opportunity for Irish NGOs to Contribute to Irish Priorities for 2013 Presidency of the EU
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Dublin, 17 January 2012: At a briefing held in the Department of the Taoiseach this afternoon, Minister of State for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton TD, and His Excellency Niels Pultz, Ambassador of Denmark to Ireland, addressed an audience of representatives from over seventy NGO and civil society groups at the first European Movement Ireland EU Presidency Briefing of 2012.

In less than eleven months, Ireland will assume the six-month Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This will be Ireland’s seventh Presidency rotation and will coincide with the 40th anniversary of Ireland’s accession to the EU in 1973. Ireland will head up a presidency trio which includes Lithuania and Greece, with our Presidency immediately following the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Ambassador of Denmark to Ireland, His Excellency Niels Pultz opened today’s briefing, providing those in attendance with an overview of the priorities currently being pursued by the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU, which is running for the first six months of 2012.

Following Ambassador Pultz’s overview, Minister Creighton afforded delegates an insight into the priorities that will feature prominently on the Irish Presidency agenda. According to Minister Creighton, this Presidency will be “one of the most challenging that Ireland has ever managed”. It will represent a central element of the intensive and constructive engagement that the Government has been developing with the EU “as a basis for Ireland’s economic and reputational recovery”. Stressing that the Government looks forward to meeting this challenge, Minister Creighton outlined the issues that are likely to figure prominently on the Irish Presidency agenda, including improving Europe’s economic competitiveness, restoring sustainable economic growth in the Union, promoting job creation and reforming the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) and Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

Speaking after today’s event, Executive Director of EM Ireland, Noelle O’Connell, was keen to stress the opportunities for engagement that are available to NGOs who want to contribute to this process: “With less than 350 days to the Irish Presidency of the EU, it was encouraging to hear Minister Creighton invite NGOs and civil society organisations to engage with their relevant government department in order to input into Ireland’s 2013 Presidency priorities. It is vital that NGOs begin this engagement process now in order to contribute and highlight potential issues for inclusion in the objectives of the Irish Presidency of the EU. European Movement Ireland welcomes the opportunity to work with our partners to ensure robust interaction with the Irish 2013 Presidency programme from the NGO and civil society sector.”

Today’s briefing for the NGO sector is the first in a series of events that European Movement Ireland will be running in 2012 to provide information and promote discussion on the upcoming Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU, January-June 2013.

Ends.

Relevant Links:

Presentation by Ambassador of Denmark to Ireland, His Excellency Niels Pultz

Presentation by Minister of State for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton TD
January 11, 2012
9:33
Press Release: EM Ireland Celebrates 58th Anniversary of Founding
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Dublin, 10 January 2012: Tomorrow, 11 January 2012, European Movement Ireland celebrates the 58th anniversary of the founding of the organisation. The oldest Irish organisation dealing with the EU, pre-dating Ireland’s membership of the EU in 1973 by almost twenty years, today European Movement Ireland continues to campaign for every Irish person to get involved with the European Union and, by doing so, help shape it through reasoned, robust and fair debate.

EM Ireland’s birthday falls one week before the 50th anniversary of the address made in Brussels on 18 January 1962 by then-Taoiseach Seán Lemass, to the Governments of the six European Community members, three days before the opening of Ireland’s accession negotiations.

Looking ahead to this anniversary, and reflecting on the past 39 years of Irish membership of the EU, Executive Director Noelle O’Connell today paid tribute to European Movement Ireland’s founders and acknowledged the challenges that Ireland’s relationship with Europe has faced during the organisation’s lifetime: “Fifty years ago, Seán Lemass asserted that ‘Ireland belongs to Europe by history, tradition and sentiment no less than by geography.’ Today, that statement is complicated by a myriad of economic and political challenges. Ireland’s relationship with the EU has reached a critical juncture. We are all increasingly aware of Ireland’s role in the EU today and, more particularly, the role that the EU plays in Irish domestic affairs. More than ever, European Movement Ireland has an extremely important role to play in ensuring a reasoned, robust and fair debate is taking place about these issues, both at a political level as well as among the general public.”

Ends.
January 09, 2012
14:15
European Economic Policy - What's in it for Ireland?
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

The European Commission Representation in Ireland invites you to attend a public seminar on European Economic Policy –What’s in it for Ireland? in your region

Organised by the European Commission Representation in Ireland, this series of public economic seminars began last November with an event in Waterford Institute of Technology and continues now with three further seminars due to take place over the coming weeks in the following locations:

Athlone Institute of Technology
Tuesday 31 January 2012, 6pm
Speakers include Brendan Keenan, Irish Independent Economics Editor; Suzanne Kelly, Tax Lawyer and Nigel Nagarajan, Resident Adviser on Economic and Financial Affairs to the European Commission

Institute of Technology, Sligo
Monday 6 February 2012, 6pm
Speakers include Minister of State for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton TD; Dan O’Brien, Irish Times Economics Editor; and Nigel Nagarajan, Resident Adviser on Economic and Financial Affairs to the European Commission

Limerick Institute of Technology
Wednesday 15 February 2012, 6pm
Speakers include former President of the European Parliament, Pat Cox and Nigel Nagarajan, Resident Adviser on Economic and Financial Affairs to the European Commission

Featuring presentations from experts on European and Irish economic and political affairs, these seminars will provide those in attendance with an opportunity to hear from the experts, voice their opinions and ask any questions they may have about the current economic situation.

Registration and light refreshments will be available from 6pm with the seminars due to commence at 6.30pm.

Attendance at these seminars is free of charge

Would you like to attend?
For further details, and to register your attendance at any of the above seminars, please RSVP to events@europeanmovement.ie, send us an email or call 01 662 5815
December 16, 2011
12:51
Invitation: European Commission Representation Economic Seminar, Athlone
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

The European Commission Representation in Ireland would like to invite you to a public seminar on ‘European Economic Policy – What’s in it for Ireland?’.

Featuring presentations from economic experts, this event comes at a crucial time for Ireland, the euro zone and the European Union as a whole, and will provide members of the public with an opportunity to hear from the experts, voice their opinions and ask any questions they may have about the current economic situation.

More details, including information on the guest speakers, will follow shortly.

In the meantime, please RSVP to events@europeanmovement.ie or call 01 662 5815 to reserve a free place at this seminar.

We look forward to seeing you there.
December 14, 2011
17:21
BLOG: The Court in the News
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Well if you didn’t know what the European Court of Auditors was before, you certainly know now! Auditors and auditing don’t normally grace the front pages of the papers but in the last couple of months, the Court has probably gotten as much coverage as the X Factor – if only Gary Barlow could step in and help out. Joking aside, it has been a very interesting time to say the least.

But before all that I need to fill you in on the main business of the Court and what I’ve been up to this month. Luckily for me I have been given the opportunity to take part in many different aspects of the Courts work. One part of this is auditing the EU agencies. Eoin is the Member of the Court responsible for EU agencies. Any trip away from the office in the EU is called (in French) a “mission”, so when we go on audits we say we are going “on mission”, but it sounds completely ridiculous in English, like we are either going to rescue someone or convert them to a different religion, but there is no good English word to use, so mission it is, should you choose to accept it.

Anyway back to auditing. The Court gives two opinions on the EU accounts each year, firstly, that they are reliable and secondly, that the spending and recruitment rules have been kept. In order to somehow compare the Court’s audit with that of the private sector, mission 1 would most resemble a compliance audit and mission 2 a financial audit (that’s for all you graduate auditors out there!). This is the time of year for mission 1, so I have joined the audit team on three missions.

First it was back to Helsinki to audit the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). ECHA deals with everything from legislation in relation to chemicals to scientific advice on their safe use, a huge industry without doubt. If I was to explain very simply auditing in one sentence it essentially involves the team going to the agency, reviewing documents, checking whether everything is ok and reporting back. The areas generally examined in mission 1 are recruitment and procurement. It gives a good insight into how the whole agency operates as well as verifying that they are complying with their own regulations and EU regulations. It was nice to be back in Helsinki and as if I hadn’t had enough the first time, I managed to eat reindeer twice more on this trip. I won’t be able to look Santa Claus in the eye this Christmas!

My second audit was to the European Medicines Agency in London (EMA). EMA’s mission is to protect and promote public and animal health and they do this through legislation, scientific advice, marketing, controls, innovation and research. Again another huge industry and it was great to get such an insight into their work. We nearly didn’t make it there though when the pilot decided to abort the landing just before we touched the ground due to fog at London City Airport. During the week, walking to work in Canary Wharf felt a bit like the Apprentice with the all the suits and Blackberrys about!

Also this month was the launch of the Court’s Annual Report in Brussels. Ireland doesn’t feature in any inappropriate spending errors in the report, generally we manage our financial relationship with the EU very well. Next year, Ireland’s borrowing from the EU under the EU/IMF programme will be included in the EU accounts. Overall the report covers revenue and spending of €122 billion, not small change! After the launch we had a press lunch with the Irish journalists. This is useful to fill them in on issues affecting Ireland in the Court’s work, as well as giving explanations of different parts of the report. It was interesting to see what the media pick up on; anything in relation to food is usually a good bet, so part of the articles the following day focused on a cheese scam which the Court had uncovered. Insert pun of choice here!

Two weeks later it was Dublin for the presentation of the Court’s Annual Report to the Oireachtas EU Affairs Committee. It was a presentation with two halves. The first half went well, the second half, not so much. It was a very interesting day, ending in being on the 6 o’clock news. If ever there was a time to think you were in an episode of the West Wing, it was that day.

Finally my latest audit was to the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) in Frankfurt. EIOPA is one of three new agencies set up to deal with the financial crisis under the European System of Financial Regulation, alongside the European Banking Authority and the European Securities and Markets Authority. Frankfurt of course is a financial hub and we were reminded of this as we walked past the European Central Bank every day, seeing the “Occupy the ECB” people camped in tents under the famous Euro sign. The Christmas markets were in full swing and it was a nice start to the festive season!

Happy Christmas from the ECA - www.youtube.com/watch

Marie-Claire
11:36
Press Release: Minister Creighton outlines “credible, enforceable and realistic” proposals reached at last week’s EU Summit
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Dublin, 13 December 2011: Minister of State for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton TD, addressed European Movement Ireland’s December Advisory Council and Member Meeting in EU House last night, Monday 12 December.

The discussion was dominated by last week’s Brussels Summit, with Minister Creighton offering those in attendance an overview of the terms of the deal reached by European leaders in the early hours of last Friday morning. Minister Creighton confirmed that last week’s agreement on the creation of a fiscal compact goes some of the way towards achieving what the government hoped it would; that is, stabilisation of the single currency, economic growth and the beginning of a move out of recession. Last week’s agreement consolidates elements of European fiscal policy that have been discussed and agreed at previous Summits and represents a “credible, enforceable and realistic set of proposals in terms of budgetary scrutiny and economic governance”.

With regards to the possibility of the requirement of a referendum here in Ireland, clarification on this issue will not be forthcoming until a more complete draft of the text of the new agreement is provided. Ireland, in tandem with its European partners, will feed into the drafting of this document, which will be available by March of 2012, according to Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD.

Last night, Minister Creighton expressed regret at the decision of the UK to pull out of the treaty reform discussions but stated that it was vitally important for Ireland to move forward with its European partners rather than isolating itself on the periphery of the Union. Ireland’s relationship with the UK remains strong and solid but this country must work with other euro zone countries to move the agenda forward and to protect the single currency.

Speaking in relation to the forthcoming Irish Presidency of the European Council from January to June 2013, Minister Creighton described it as a fantastic platform to help us to re-build our reputation on both the European and the international stage, affording the Irish people a valuable opportunity to showcase the country and encourage growth and jobs.

Thanking the Minister for her address, European Movement Ireland Chairman Maurice Pratt said: “It is hoped that the solutions proposed on Friday will result in a more stable, credible and cohesive future for the EU. It is critically important that clarification on the text and content of Friday’s agreement is provided as quickly as possible so that concrete steps can be taken to safeguard the viability of the euro zone. We look forward to hearing more from the Minister on the progression of this issue.”

Ends.
11:33
Press Release: Europe Takes a Step in the Right Direction
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Dublin, 12 December 2012: European Movement Ireland welcomes the agreement reached by EU leaders early last Friday after two days of intensive talks in Brussels. Given the critical nature of the current economic and political situation, it was vital that European leaders came together to determine the future of the euro and make concrete decisions to safeguard European solidarity and retain the credibility of the single currency. Last week’s summit was one of a series of meetings since the euro zone crisis erupted and may well prove to be a pivotal moment in history for both the future of Europe and the future of Ireland.

There is a long way to go before the newly agreed ‘fiscal compact’ establishing a fiscal union in the euro zone can come into force, not least given the possibility that an Irish referendum may be required. The devil will undoubtedly be in the detail of the agreement as European leaders come together to finalise the terms and language of the deal. However, this newly brokered agreement represents the willingness of European leaders to work together to resolve the crisis and further underlines the necessity for collaboration between EU member states if the single currency is to survive the current challenges.

With the first half of last week dominated by anticipation and analysis of Budget 2012, and the latter half focused on events in Brussels, last week was hugely eventful from an Irish perspective. With events unfolding so rapidly at a European level, it is vital that we continue to work with our European partners to ensure the future of the euro zone and Ireland’s financial stability. It is hoped that the announcement of this new fiscal compact, and the strengthened economic policy coordination between EU countries, will lead to a reduction in market tensions in the euro area, allowing the single currency to move away from the precipice upon which it has been hovering.

Speaking today, Executive Director of European Movement Ireland, Noelle O’Connell said: “As Jean Monnet, the chief architect of European unity, famously said in 1976; ‘Europe will be forged in crises, and will be the sum of the solutions adopted for those crises.’ It is hoped that the solutions proposed on Friday will result in a more stable, credible and cohesive future for the EU. It is critically important that clarification on the text and content of Friday’s agreement is provided as quickly as possible so that concrete steps can be taken to safeguard the viability of the euro zone.”

Ends.
November 11, 2011

Permalink for 'Save the Date: Minister for European Affairs to Address EM Ireland Members'

16:33

Save the Date: Minister for European Affairs to Address EM Ireland Members

» ‎ European Movement Ireland

November 10, 2011
17:10
Invitation: European Commission Representation Economic Seminar
» ‎ European Movement Ireland
October 28, 2011
14:39
Save the Date: European Economic Policy Seminar - What's in it for Ireland?
» ‎ European Movement Ireland
October 26, 2011

Permalink for 'Green Book Volume V now available'

11:17

Green Book Volume V now available

» ‎ European Movement Ireland

October 21, 2011
15:33
BLOG: Life as a Trainee with the European Court of Auditors
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

So I’m starting my first blog and I find myself 30,000ft in the air, watching the sun set over Scandinavia, trying to figure out how best to explain what I’ve been up to!

A few weeks ago I left Dublin to begin a traineeship at the European Court of Auditors in Luxembourg. I had been given the rare opportunity to work in the cabinet office of Mr. Eoin O’Shea, the Irish member of the Court. As a recent graduate I was firstly delighted to have a job but more importantly I was fully aware of the chance I had been given and determined to make the most of it.

The traineeship had been organised in conjunction with European Movement Ireland and I’d like to thank Noelle and the team for all their help and support throughout the process. European Movement is an organisation that plays a pivotal role in maintaining and strengthening the Irish-European connection both at home and abroad and they are due a lot of credit for all their hard work.

So by now I’m sure you have a few important questions, like what on earth is the Court of Auditors, where is Luxembourg again and have I seen any reindeer on my travels?!

The European Court of Auditors is one of the institutions of the European Union. The job of the Court is to act as the external auditor of the finances of all EU activities. Put simply the Court keeps an eye on all the money that is spent around the EU and beyond from Athlone to Africa. Not an easy task, but someone has to do it! The Court is made up of 27 members, one from each member state. Each member has a cabinet (where I work) and is also a member of a chamber of the Court. Mr. O’Shea is part of Chamber 4 and he is responsible for EU agencies. The Court comes together for meetings of all members once a week and each chamber meets every week also, however essentially day-to-day Mr. O’Shea works with his team and the agencies unit of the Court on the main task of auditing the agencies of the Union.

So little old me, finds herself off on a plane to Luxembourg (thank you Luxair for the free excess luggage!) to start my 5 month traineeship. To be perfectly honest I knew hardly anything about Luxembourg. I knew that it was small, hard to find on a map and it always pops up on those lists of best places to live or make money, I’m not sure, either of which I’ll take! Now I’m here and it’s like a fairytale city, so pretty and a great place to live. All the EU institutions take on trainees, usually twice a year, winter and summer. The trainees come from all over Europe, with a huge variety of backgrounds and experience, to add their youthful enthusiasm to the European idea. I’m friends with a lot of translation trainees which is good when we were in Germany ordering food and bad when they slag the way I speak English! Don’t worry, they’ll all think everything is “grand” soon enough! The best way to describe being a trainee is that it’s like being on Erasmus again but you get paid, a win-win situation in my opinion!

On my first day at work we went to Brussels at 8 a.m. While there we had a meeting at the office of the European Ombudsman and then attended the Committee on Budgetary Control (COCOBU) meeting of the European Parliament. COCOBU is the Parliamentary Committee which works closest with the Court. On the agenda were discharges of various budgets relating to EU agencies that Mr. O’Shea is responsible for, such as the European Medicines Agency and the European Police College. It is very important that the Member of the Court has a good relationship with the MEPs so that they can fully understand the work that the Court is doing.

We were back in Brussels last week for a meeting with a member of Commissioner Sefcovic’s cabinet to discuss the Cost Benchmarking Report that Mr. O’Shea has produced on the EU Agencies. The main topics for discussion included budgeting, recruitment and staff regulations. Commissioner Sefcovic is Vice President of the Commission and also responsible for Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration. Similarly his cabinet would work closely with the Court on many issues.

Let’s not forget the agencies themselves, the bread and butter of Mr. O’Shea’s job! Luckily for me I started my traineeship at the perfect time, as there was a meeting of all of the 32 EU agencies this week in Helsinki and I got to go along on the Court’s team. It was a great opportunity to listen to the discussions of the agencies, their feedback on Mr. O’Shea’s reports and issues and concerns that they have on a day-to-day and annual basis. With 32 agencies there were a lot of acronyms to try and remember! The greatest benefit I found was just chatting to the agencies about what they do because you learn far more than what it might say in a report or website.

The highlight of the trip was a dinner at the Houses of the Estates in Helsinki, an historic building used in coalition talks when forming Finnish governments. You aren’t allowed use the building unless a member of the Finnish Government is present, so the Minster for Finance greeted us on the stairs. And now we come to the final of my 3 initial questions, reindeer spotting (some readers may like to skip to the next paragraph). Gold star for guessing, my first Nordic meeting with a reindeer came in the form of the main course at dinner! Banishing all thoughts of Rudolph and red noses to the back of my mind I embraced this Nordic treat and I’m not going to lie, it was really good, and no it didn’t taste like chicken! The best part of the dinner was the speech given by the host in recognition of the work of Mr. O’Shea over the past 18 months, it was clear to me that all the agencies really appreciate how Mr. O’Shea has transformed the Court’s relationship with them for the better, through clear communication and cooperation. As the host said, what he has done simply cannot be undone and they thanked him sincerely for that and wished him well for the future as he moves on from the Court.

We rounded off the trip with a visit to the Irish Ambassador to Finland, His Excellency Mr. Dermot Brangan. He gave us an interesting insight into Finnish culture and current issues in the economy and so on. We also discussed the work of the Court and in particular the EU agency based in Helsinki, the European Chemicals Agency, which has gone from strength to strength in recent years. I mustn’t forget to mention the lovely cup of Barry’s tea I had which was a nice touch!

So that is just a snap shot of a busy few of weeks in Luxembourg and beyond. Reports, chamber meetings and my endless battle with my computer aren’t as exciting, so you got the highlights! My colleagues in the cabinet have been very welcoming to their new arrival. Also the amount of Irish people I’ve met in different jobs in the EU has reminded me that we get on really well here so if you’re reading this and thinking about a traineeship, just go for it, it’s a great experience and good craic too!

- Marie-Claire

For more information on the work of the European Court of Auditors, visit www.eca.europa.eu.
October 13, 2011
14:42
European Movement Ireland Address to Joint Oireachtas Committee on EU Affairs
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

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As the newly appointed Executive Director of EM Ireland, I’m delighted to have the opportunity to present here today before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs. For the purposes of today’s presentation, I intend to provide you with an outline of European Movement Ireland’s work programme for the next 12 – 18 months, an overview of the principal findings of our Accountability Report for 2010 and briefly discuss the on-going work for our Accountability Report for the 2011 period.

When I assumed this position in April, I noticed that our tag line included the phrase: “EM Ireland campaigns for Europe to be discussed in Ireland every day and not just on referendum days. “ I think it’s fair to say that there has never been more coverage of the EU matters in Ireland than there has been recently. Our current tag line now concentrates more on our goal to campaign for Europe to be discussed in Ireland in a fair, reasoned and robust manner, which is something we try to do quite actively through our varied communications work. Given the importance of the role that EM Ireland has played since its foundation in 1954 as the Irish Council for European Movement, particularly our work around Ireland’s accession to membership of the EEC in 1973 and more recently our work on the Nice and Lisbon Referenda campaigns, our organisation has evolved and continues to evolve, mirroring as it does perhaps, Ireland's evolving relationship with the EU itself.

Current EU- Irish Relationship
Nobody can deny that the EU-Irish relationship has undergone significant changes and challenges over the last number of years in particular. And I think it’s no exaggeration to say that significant challenges remain ahead. However, I’m reminded of what Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD said in the Oireachtas on Europe Day last May; “there’s more that unites us than divides us.”   European Movement Ireland has a long and respected legacy of being an independent, non-governmental voice seeking to increase engagement with the EU in Ireland.   I passionately believe that this voice needs to be heard now more than ever. The recent Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll demonstrated that Irish voters prefer by a majority of almost three to one to be part of the EU in the current crisis and over 41% of Irish voters are confident that the Irish Government will improve the economy. However, Irish voters have little confidence in our European Union leaders. Essentially, the findings of this poll show that the majority of Irish people continue to see Ireland having a place at the European table whilst conversely feeling that our current European leaders are not doing enough to tackle the economic crisis.

Following a meeting at the weekend with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel repeated her belief that further proposals to strengthen the Eurozone will require changes in the EU treaties. This obviously has significant implications for Ireland, as any treaty change transferring more powers to the European Union would require a referendum in this country. Memories of the double referenda of Nice and Lisbon are still quite fresh, and should a referendum be required, it would be crucial that this debate be robust, reasoned and fair and, most importantly, based on the facts.

Irish Presidency of the European Council 2013
The re-engagement with our European Partners that this government has prioritised will assume even greater importance in 2012 as we begin to prepare for the Irish EU presidency in the first half of 2013. I know that work has already commenced on this project within the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of the Taoiseach and other government departments. From our own perspective, EM Ireland has been approached by many different NGOs and civil society organisations that are also starting to plan their activities for the 2013 Irish EU Presidency. These organisations are seeking guidelines as to what the priorities for the Irish Presidency will be so that they can leverage them in terms of their own work plans and campaigns. This level of interest on the ground is certainly a very positive development. It proves that Ireland’s re-engagement with the EU and our European partners is something that is resonating across all levels of Irish society and indeed, is something that we in EM Ireland look forward to further developing in collaboration with our stakeholders over the coming 12 – 15 months. In fact, I was reminded that, from today, it is 447 days to when Ireland assumes the 2013 EU Presidency.

EM Ireland 2011 Work Programme
In relation to our work programme since the start of 2011, we were very pleased that An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD accepted our invitation to act as Honorary President of European Movement Ireland, as is the longstanding tradition. Unfortunately, we had the passing of two of our founding members, Declan Costello and Dr Garret FitzGerald over the summer. Their contribution to the work of European Movement Ireland and the Irish Council of the European Movement was immense and their passing is deeply regretted.

Communications
On the Communications front, we have been very active in disseminating our bi-annual Presidency Calendar and eNewsletters, and we have significantly increased our activity and engagement on our social media fora such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Our new eBulletin forms part of our improved member communications services and includes summaries of all the EU-related Oireachtas Committees that took place in the preceding month, as well as information on European funding opportunities, relevant Commission Consultations and current calls for tenders. Our recently-launched ‘In the News’ media service features leading stories related to EU matters uploaded to our website on a daily basis and disseminated widely.   In addition, we continue to engage on a regular basis with local and national press and broadcast media in relation to Irish and European matters.

Education & Advocacy
Our education and advocacy work has continued to grow and expand in 2011. We have compiled a report of all third level courses on offer in Ireland in relation to European matters titled: “Studying Europe: An Audit of European Union Related Qualifications in the Third-Level Education Sector”. We are very grateful for the support of the European Commission Representation for their assistance in the publication and distribution of this Report. Copies have been sent to all second levels schools; career guidance counsellors; college and university faculties and third-level career offices throughout the island of Ireland. We have some extra copies of the Audit here with us if any committee members would like an extra copy.

We are looking forward to partnering again with our key stakeholders in the European Commission Representation, European Parliament Office, Michael Sweetman Trust, European Consumer Centre, CRIS and European Studies in the North for the third version of the My Vision for Europe schools competition, for which we are currently accepting entries from secondary schools across Ireland. This all-Island video competition asks secondary school students aged 15-17 to present in video format their vision of Europe, with the winning schools from North and South travelling to Strasbourg to take part in the Euroscola programme.

Our Grad Jobs Campaign and Green Book publication continue afoot and follow on from our very successful Europe Day event marking the European Year of Volunteering. In relation to Europe Day, we were also very pleased to be invited by the Oireachtas communications unit to take part in what was the first ever public Tweet Up from the Dáil public gallery on May 9th. I am delighted that Minister Lucinda Creighton has confirmed her attendance to launch Volume 5 of “The Green Book: A Guide to be an Irish Stagiaire,” at our Brussels Connection event next Monday 17 October. We have had a number of very productive meetings with the Minister for European Affairs and we certainly look forward to supporting her in the new thoughts and initiatives she has as part of her objectives for her Department.

At the end of June, I had the opportunity to attend the European Economic Social Committee conference on the European Citizens’ Initiative in Brussels which was extremely informative. This is an area in which EM Ireland intends to be very active in once the legislation comes into force in early 2012. In fact, EM Ireland has already begun work on hosting a Citizens’ Initiative Briefing Session in November for interested stakeholders.   EM Ireland is uniquely placed to be the central conduit for information, advice and assistance for Irish citizens and organisations interested in setting up their own Citizens’ Initiative given our European wide contacts through our network of different European Movement Councils. There is a real appetite for citizen engagement in politics in Ireland at the moment as can been seen from initiatives such as Claiming our Future and We the Citizens. EM Ireland believes that it is crucial that this new European Citizens’ Initiative democratic tool is given all the support required to give it credibility and maximum exposure in Ireland.

I would also like to take this opportunity to commend the new Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs for its work since the new Dáil. It has been extremely encouraging to see the commitment and determination for an ambitious work programme on the part of this Oireachtas Committee. Since the start of the 31st Dáil, EM Ireland has been attending the Oireachtas Committee meetings as part of our on-going research for the Accountability Report which I will now go through in greater detail.

EM Ireland Accountability Report 2010

You will be aware that earlier this year, EM Ireland published the Accountability Campaign Report 2010.   I’m very proud of the incredible hard work that went into the inaugural 2010 Report and indeed, we look forward to further developing the campaign in advance of the 2011 Accountability Report, to be launched early next year.   Our 2010 Report was successful in achieving good national coverage despite the fact that its launch on 21st July happened to coincide with another very important event that was taking place in Brussels that day.

The publication of the Report served to highlight Irish engagement with the EU throughout the 2010 period by tracking a series of key 12 measureable indicators and outlining where improvements could be made. The findings indicate real opportunities for enhanced engagement between Ireland and the EU at many levels. We are pleased to note that the current Programme for Government outlines clear goals in how it plans to engage with the EU, and European Movement Ireland looks forward to tracking these developments for our 2011 Accountability Report.

We all know that there is often a tendency in Ireland to hold ‘Brussels’ responsible for everything EU related. Public institutions obviously play a large role in what goes on at an EU level but our Irish representatives also have a big part to play in EU processes.   While there are obviously reforms needed at an EU level, we believe that there is a lot of work that can be done to improve our own domestic processes dealing with European affairs.

One focus of the Accountability Campaign was to highlight who is responsible for decision-making in the EU and to encourage greater ownership of each player’s role in EU affairs.   We did this by breaking down in simple terms where the decisions that affect Ireland are made, and who they are made by and by tracking key indicators in each stage of the legislative process as follows:

Pre-Legislative Influence
1.       Percentage of Irish submissions to key European Consultations

Parliament Influence
2.       MEP positions (i.e. Committee Chair, Rapporteur etc.)
3.       Votes taken
4.       MEP Attendance

Final Voting and Decision Making
5.       Percentage Irish ministerial attendance

6.       Number of Consensus decisions
7.       Number of Double majority decisions
8.       Ireland's voting record

National Scrutiny and Implementation
9.       Percentage of draft legislation further scrutinised
10.       Percentage attendance at Oireachtas Committees
11.       Issues discussed
12.       Number of occasions Oireachtas invokes SI scrutiny

The key findings of the Accountability Report 2010 are as follows:

Irish MEPs
Average Irish MEP attendance at plenary sessions stood at 86% for 2010. Overall, Irish MEPs raised nearly 1,000 parliamentary questions throughout 2010. Eleven out of 12 Irish MEPs ranked amongst the top 100 for most parliamentary questions raised. This is an impressive figure taking into account the fact that there are 736 MEPs in the European Parliament in total.

Ministerial Attendance at Council
Eighty-Two European Councils took place during 2010. Seventy-three of these Councils occurred without any pre-Council briefing taking place with members of the Oireachtas. The Department of Foreign Affairs was the only Department which provided pre-Council briefings. I note that this is something that the recent Programme for Government hopes to improve upon as it states that for the first time, Minsters will be obliged to appear before Oireachtas Committees prior to making decisions at EU Council meetings, as will the Taoiseach in the Dáil which is very much welcomed by EM Ireland. Overall, Irish Ministerial attendance at Council for 2010 stood at 77%, with either a lead Minister or Junior Minister attending 63 out of a total of 82 meetings held in 2010. The European Council had the best record in terms of Irish attendance with a rate of 100%, while the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council, had a Ministerial attendance rate of just 33%.

Attendance at European related Oireachtas Committees in 2010
The attendance for both European Affairs and European Scrutiny Committees in 2010 was 58% and 55% respectively while the average level of attendance at Oireachtas Committees for 2010 was 62% thereby indicating that in comparison to other Committees, European Affairs and EU Scrutiny were below average in their attendance rates.

Topics discussed- European Affairs Committee
Out of a total of 36 meetings during 2010, the European Affairs Oireachtas Committee discussed issues related to Irish and European finances and the IMF on five occasions in 2010. Separately, foreign affairs related issues were discussed a total of nine times. Within these nine foreign affairs discussions, the Middle East and Israel was the focus of attention on a total of six occasions.

Commission Consultations
Last year, more than 100 consultation processes on different topics were initiated by more than 20 Directorate Generals of the European Commission. Of these, 27 were deemed relevant to Ireland, and for the purposes of this report, we analysed 20 of them. Between 0% and 5% of the total submissions made, originated in Ireland, (142 that can be ascertained) with the EU average at 1.6%. Relative to our population, Ireland is performing well in this regard. However, in terms of engagement with, and influence over the shaping of EU policy, the figures outline potential for enhanced Irish engagement. Irish submissions were much more likely to come from organisations or individuals than the state or public authorities and also, submissions are even less likely to come from private companies.

Accountability Report 2011
As 2010 was the first year of our Accountability Report, we welcome any feedback you may have as we work to improve and expand the Report for 2011. We have already received some comments and suggestions but we welcome any further feedback committee members may like to contribute.   We have several copies of the Accountability Report here with us and the report is available for download from our website should any of you wish to review this report further. With respect to the 2011 version of the report, work has already begun and we are in the midst of compiling preliminary statistics and indicators for 2011. However it is too early yet to draw any premature analysis. I can say however, that one new development that we look forward to including in the 2011 Report will be a comparison of Ministerial attendance at Council meetings for all 27 countries in order to further expand and develop the report through useful comparisons with our fellow EU member states. One challenge for us in the compilation of the 2011 Report will be the different structures in place under the 30th and 31st Dáil particularly in relation to the Oireachtas Committees dealing with Europe.

We are delighted that this Committee has taken such a keen interest in EM Ireland’s Accountability Campaign and we would be happy to reappear in front of this Committee to present our 2011 Report at a date in 2012 following its launch and publication.

Given the importance of the run-up to the Irish Presidency of the European Council in early 2013, the next 447 days are absolutely critical in terms of the Irish EU relationship. With a strong programme of activities in the area of communications, education, advocacy and research, EM Ireland is committed to ensuring that we continue to engage the connection between Irish people and the EU. I would like to perhaps conclude with the words of one of the former Directors of the Irish Council of European Movement, the late Michael Sweetman whose life was commemorated at a book launch last night: Speaking in relation to Irish membership of what was then the European Economic Community, Mr Sweetman summarised: “There are compelling economic reasons for Ireland to seek full membership of the Community…… The EEC concept seems to offer a small country like Ireland new opportunities for political initiative and participation in decision-making at European Level.”   I believe his words which were originally commissioned by The Irish Times in July 1971 for a Special Report still have significant resonance for today’s Ireland of 2011.

I am grateful for the opportunity to present before the Oireachtas Committee today and I welcome any comments you may have on European Movement Ireland's Accountability Report and our work overall.

Thank you very much.

Noelle O Connell
13 October 2011
14:30
Press Release: EM Ireland to appear before Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs to discuss Accountability Campaign and 2010 Report
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Dublin, 13 October 2011: European Movement Ireland Executive Director, Noelle O’Connell will appear in front of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs at 11.30 this morning to present the findings of the European Movement Ireland Accountability Report 2010 and provide an overview of the EM Ireland work programme for 2011.
Welcoming this opportunity to present to the Committee, Noelle said:

“Nobody can deny that the Irish-EU relationship has undergone challenges in recent times. However, the increased commitment by the Irish government to improve our relationship with Europe and our European partners is yielding positive results. In approximately 15 months’ time, in January 2013, Ireland will assume the Presidency of the European Council for the seventh time. In advance of this, the next 447 days will be absolutely crucial in terms of the Irish-EU relationship. EM Ireland is determined to continue working to increase engagement between Irish people and the EU. We will do this by promoting reasoned, robust and fair debate about European matters in Ireland through publications like our Accountability Report as well as our many other education and advocacy campaigns and communications work.
We look forward to presenting to the Oireachtas Committee today and working with them in the pursuit of the above goals and objectives.”

Ends.

Available for comment
EM Ireland’s Executive Director, Noelle O’Connell is available for comment. Please contact call 01-662 5815 or email info@europeanmovement.ie.
October 06, 2011

Permalink for 'EM Ireland Events - October/November 2011'

13:59

EM Ireland Events - October/November 2011

» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Invitation

Meeting for Munster Members

Venue
The Weir Bar
The River Lee Hotel, Western Road, Cork

Date
Monday 10 October 2011, 10am-11am

Event
EM Ireland Executive Director Noelle O’Connell will be travelling to Cork on Monday 10 October to meet with EM Ireland’s Munster-based members.

We are eager to re-connect with our Munster members and we welcome this opportunity to meet in Cork to discuss opportunities for growing the organisation and increasing our activity in the region.

All are welcome to come along for a coffee and a chat with Noelle at this informal get together. Please do get in touch with the office to let us know if you are available to join us in the River Lee Hotel. We look forward to meeting many of you there. This event is open to members and non-members alike.

Please RSVP to confirm your attendance at the Munster Meeting:
T: +353 1 662 5815 E: info@europeanmovement.ie

Save the Date

Briefing by Irish Permanent Representative to the EU,
Mr. Rory Montgomery,
hosted by Minister for State for European Affairs,
Lucinda Creighton TD

Venue
Iveagh House
80 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2

Date
Friday 21 October 2011, time to be confirmed

Event
Minister of State for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton TD, is pleased to host an address by Irish Permanent Representative to the European Union, Mr. Rory Montgomery, for members of European Movement Ireland.

Having served in the role of Permanent Representative since 2009, Mr. Montgomery is in a unique position to offer EM Ireland members a comprehensive insight into Ireland's current relationship with the European Council.

Please RSVP to confirm your attendance at this EM Ireland Briefing:
T: +353 1 662 5815 E: info@europeanmovement.ie

Save the Date

Citizens' Initiative Information Session

Venue
European Commission Representation
EU House, 18 Dawson Street, Dublin 2

Date
Tuesday 22 November 2011

Event
From 1 April 2012, Citizens’ Initiative Committees around Europe will be able to register a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) with the European Commission. European Movement Ireland hopes to see Irish citizens utilising this new democratic tool once it comes into force in 2012.

For this reason, we are pleased to host an information session on the ECI for NGOs, individuals and all interested parties on 22 November 2011. This session will cover the following topics:
-    What is the ECI?
-    Whether an ECI is right for you
-    The legal issues involved
-    How to go about writing an Initiative
-    Building European contacts
-    Preparing a detailed ECI campaign plan

This will be the first of many advice and information sessions that EM Ireland will be hosting about the European Citizens’ Initiative in the run up to its entry into force next year.

Please RSVP to confirm your attendance at the Citizens' Initiative Information Session:
T: +353 1 662 5815   E: info@europeanmovement.ie

September 16, 2011
9:52
Press Release: Polish Ambassador Stresses Polish EU Presidency Focus on Economic Growth and Enhanced Political Community
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

16 September 2011, Dublin: Following his appearance in front of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on EU Affairs, Polish Ambassador Marcin Nawrot, yesterday briefed European Movement Ireland members on the priorities of the Polish Presidency of the European Council. Outlining the main tasks of the Polish Presidency, Ambassador Nawrot emphasised Poland’s focus on leading the European Union on a path to faster economic growth and enhanced political community. He called for wide solidarity and common resolve among member states in order to overcome the current difficult economic climate.

Ambassador Nawrot elaborated on the social, economic and foreign-policy priorities of the Polish Presidency, emphasising the need for Europe-wide solidarity that looks to the South as much as to the East in terms of growth and development. While acknowledging the need for a Common Agricultural Policy, Ambassador Nawrot suggested that it is a policy that warrants further inspection and reform. He confirmed that Poland will bring new energy and a new style to the Presidency.

Commenting on Ambassador Nawrot’s presentation on Poland’s priorities for the Presidency, Executive Director of European Movement Ireland, Noelle O Connell said: “European Movement Ireland welcomes the energy, drive and ambition that has characterised the Polish Presidency of the European Council. Ambassador Nawrot has highlighted Poland’s solid work programme and clearly identifiable objectives and priorities of promoting European integration as a source of growth which will be crucial given the challenges facing Europe currently.”

Ends.
September 14, 2011
16:22
Press Release: European Movement Ireland Welcomes Commission Proposals on EFSM Loans
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Dublin, 14 September 2011: European Movement Ireland today welcomes the two proposals adopted by the European Commission, suggesting reduced interest rate margins and extended maturities for loans granted by the European Union (EU) to Ireland and Portugal.

Essentially, these new proposals mean that Ireland is to receive better financial terms on the money it is currently receiving under the EU/IMF loan programme.

The decision, adopted by the Commission this morning, covers money from the European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism (EFSM) and is separate from the reductions in Ireland's interest rates agreed in July by EU leaders.

The proposals, which are expected to be approved by the Council in the coming weeks, will reduce the interest rates paid by Ireland and Portugal to bring them in line with the cost to the EFSM of borrowing the money. This means Ireland will no longer pay an additional 2.9 percentage points. The reduction will apply to money already drawn down by Ireland. The average term of the loans is also being extended from the current 7.5 years to 12.5 years.

In addition to the substantial cash savings for Ireland and Portugal, the new financial terms will bring benefits such as enhanced sustainability and improved liquidity outlooks. Moreover, indirect confidence effects through the enhanced credibility of programme implementation should result in improved borrowing conditions for the sovereign as well as the private sector.

Speaking today, EM Ireland Executive Director Noelle O’Connell welcomed the revised payment deadlines: “The proposed reduced interest rate margin and extended terms will ease the burden of debt on Ireland in the long-term, and will hopefully lead to greater confidence in the Irish market in the short-term.”

Ends.
September 09, 2011

Permalink for 'Upcoming Events in EM Ireland's Calendar'

14:52

Upcoming Events in EM Ireland's Calendar

» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Invitation

Business in Europe Invitation

EU Polish Presidency Briefing

Venue
European Commission Representation
EU House, 18 Dawson Street, Dublin 2
(Use Dawson Street entrance)

Date
Thursday 15 September, 3.00pm

Event
European Movement Ireland invites you to join us for an EU Presidency Briefing with His Excellency, Polish Ambassador to Ireland Marcin Nawrot.

Ambassador Nawrot will brief EM Ireland members on the priorities of the Polish Presidency of the EU for the coming months.

There will also be an opportunity for questions from the audience.

Please RSVP to confirm your attendance at the EU Polish Presidency Briefing:
T: +353 1 662 5815 E: info@europeanmovement.ie

AGM Reminder

EM Ireland AGM 2011

Venue
European Parliament Office
EU House, 43 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2
(Use Molesworth Street entrance)

Date
Thursday 22 September, 6.30pm

Event
The Agenda for the forthcoming AGM will follow that of previous
years. The European Movement Ireland Annual Report 2010 will
be available to download from the European Movement Ireland
website from Friday 23 September.

Please RSVP to confirm your attendance at EM Ireland’s AGM 2011:
T: +353 1 662 5815 E: info@europeanmovement.ie

Save the Date!

Brussels Connection Event

Venue
Kitty O’Shea’s
42 Boulevard Charlemagne, 1040 Brussels, Belgium

Date
Monday 17 October, 6.30pm

Event
Brussels Connection is an excellent opportunity for the Irish network in Brussels to re-connect; allowing old friends to catch-up, and affording the new class of Irish stagiaires the opportunity to meet with Irish officials and experts from all areas of work in the city.

We are delighted that Minister for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton TD, will be addressing this event.

In addition, at the October Brussels Connection, friends and members of EM Ireland will have the opportunity to meet with the organisation’s new Executive Director, Noelle O Connell and our Chairman, Maurice Pratt.

Finally, the latest version of our renowned Brussels guide ‘The Green Book’, complete with a new chapter on life after the stage, will be launched on the night.

Further details on Brussels Connection will follow in the coming weeks. In the meantime, do keep the date free in your diary.

Please RSVP to confirm your attendance at October’s Brussels Connection Event:
T: +353 1 662 5815 E: info@europeanmovement.ie

August 10, 2011
15:52
EM Ireland Calls for European-Wide Political Leadership
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Dublin, 9 August 2011: The events of August 2007 marked the start of the recent credit crunch which has precipitated the worst worldwide recession and global banking crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930’s. Current volatility in markets and a lack of growth have combined to create a global economic crisis of an unprecedented international scale that we are witnessing first hand in Ireland and the wider EU area.

At the 21 July Summit, the Irish government was successful in negotiating a reduction in the interest rate paid on its EU IMF loans which will lead to annual savings for the Irish economy of between €800 and €900 million per annum. Elsewhere, the statement by Standard & Poor’s acknowledging that the Irish government’s fiscal strategy should be capable of putting public finances “on a more sustainable path,” is a further boost to the Irish position. Although the above welcome developments represent a positive reinforcement of Irish efforts, it is crucial that we remember that Ireland is not operating in isolation and that this is not a “peripheral,” problem. Given our status as one of the world’s most globalised economies, with exports of almost €90 billion worth of goods and services in 2010, our interests are intrinsically interlinked with those of our European partners. Ireland's long-term success and growth remains contingent on improving global events, particularly in the wider Eurozone area.

Although it is taking time for national governments in the EU to pass the legislation necessary to allow the provisions of the agreement of 21 July to take effect, this delay is an unavoidable part of the reality of the democratic process Europe operates in; European governments cannot simply rush legislative processes in order to meet market expectations. EM Ireland looks forward to ratification by national parliaments as soon as possible in order to bring stability and balance to the workings of the EU and in particular the Eurozone area. Finally, EM Ireland welcomes the recent statements by the G7 and G20 countries and the European Central Bank supporting the 21 July agreement and their recent statements pledging to “take all necessary measure to support financial stability”.

According to EM Ireland, Executive Director Noelle O Connell, “Put simply, we are at a fork in the road: the importance of political action in relation to this economic and financial crisis is vital. We need enhanced and joined up European wide political leadership in order to ensure that we are on the road to recovery and not the road to ruin. Europe is the sum of its parts. We need strong and concerted efforts by our European leaders to concentrate on what Europe can and needs to do to in order to play to our collective strengths to overcome this crisis.”

Ends.
August 02, 2011
17:19
Notice of EM Ireland AGM 2011
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

27 July 2011

Notice of Annual General Meeting

Dear Member,

On behalf of the Board of Directors of The European Movement Ireland (the Company), I hereby give notice of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Company for Thursday, 22 September 2011 at 6.30pm in European Union House, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2.

Agenda
The provisional agenda for the meeting is as follows:

    Minutes of the 2010 AGM;
    Report of the Board of Directors;
    Reports of the Audit Committee and of the auditors;
    Adoption of the Companys accounts for the year ending 31 December 2010;
    Appointment of auditors;
    Appointment of the Chairman of the Company;
    Appointment of members to the Board of Directors (2 vacancies);
    Appointment of member to the Audit Committee (1 vacancy); and
    Any other business.

Appointment of Chairman
The current term of appointment of the Chairman expires at the 2011 AGM. (Members may wish to note that the outgoing Chairman, Mr. Maurice Pratt, is eligible for re-appointment for one further two-year term and has indicated his intention to seek nomination for his re-appointment.)

Appointment of Elected Members to the Board of Directors
In accordance with the operation of the articles of association of the Company, two vacancies arise in the elected membership of the Board of Directors.

Appointment of Member to the Audit Committee
In accordance with its terms of reference, one vacancy on the Companys Audit Committee also falls to be filled at the AGM.

Nomination for Appointment
Members are entitled to propose persons for appointment to the Board of Directors by submitting a notice in writing signed by an Ordinary Member (or by a representative of a Group Member) and accompanied by a signed confirmation of the person being proposed expressing his or her willingness to be appointed. Any such nomination must be received at the Companys office by the close of business on Tuesday, 23 August 2011. In the event that there are more nominations than there are vacancies, appointment will be made by way of election at the AGM.

Resolutions at AGM
At the AGM, an Ordinary Member is entitled to one vote and a Group Member is entitled to three votes, except in votes taken by show of hands where each member has one vote only. Votes may not be given by way of proxy.

A list of the board members and officers as at the date of this notice is attached for your information.

Yours faithfully,

MICHAEL SHOVLIN,

Company Secretary

Officers and Members of the Board of Directors

Chairman
Mr. Maurice Pratt*

Elected Members
Mr. Seamus Boland*
Mr. John Cushnahan
Mr. Hilary Hough
Ms. Mary McCarthy*
Mr. Simon Nugent
Ms. Jillian van Turnhout (Vice-Chairman)

Co-opted Members*
Mr. Don Bergin (Treasurer)
Ms. Michelle ODonnell-Keating

Executive Director
Ms. Noelle OConnell

Company Secretary
Mr. Michael Shovlin

* Term of appointment to expire at 2011 AGM
July 21, 2011
10:17
European Movement Ireland Accountability Report 2010
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

The European Movement Ireland Accountability Report 2010: Annual Report Tracking Ireland's Engagement with the EU is now available to download from the Publications page of the EM Ireland website.

The publication of the Accountability Report 2010 is one of EM Irelands flagship Advocacy campaigns for the 2010-2011 period. It serves to highlight Irish engagement with the EU throughout 2010 by tracking a series of key measurable indicators and outlining where improvements can be made. The Accountability Report findings indicate real opportunities for enhanced engagement between Ireland and the EU at many levels and European Movement Ireland looks forward to tracking these developments in the Accountability Report 2011.

The report will be launched by EM Ireland Chairperson Maurice Pratt tonight, 21 July, at 6.30pm in EU House, 43 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2. On the night, tributes will be paid to EM Ireland founding members Dr. Garret FitzGerald and Mr. Declan Costello by former Taoiseach, John Bruton; the European Parliament Office, in collaboration with European Movement Ireland, will make a presentation to Dr T.K. Whitaker to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Ireland's first application to join the EEC; and Professor Brigid Laffan will address EM Ireland members.

Follow this link to download the Accountability Report 2010.
July 15, 2011
13:51
Autumn Stage Programme
» ‎ European Movement Ireland
European Movement Ireland is now accepting applications for our autumn stagiaire programme. Deadline for applications is 5 August 2011.

European Movement Ireland is a not-for-profit organisation that works to make the connection between Irish people and the EU. Though a variety of education and advocacy programmes, we campaign for every Irish person to get involved in the European Union and by doing so, help shape it.

Over the last number of years, European Movement Ireland has developed a highly successful stage programme, where recent graduates undertake a four to six month placement in our offices at 6 Merrion Square, Dublin 2. We are now looking to recruit a stagiaire for our autumn stage programme, to start in early September.

Working as part of a team, successful candidates will be offered the following opportunities:
- Assignment of individual project work, and working to a high level of own responsibility and initiative
- Opportunities for practical research, strong event management experience and direct stakeholder engagement
- Learn about the EU and Irish politics in greater detail
- Development of highly transferable office skills
- First-hand engagement with the Irish legislative system and current issues
- Direct experience with key players in the public affairs sector
- Career development advice and mentoring
- Subsidised travel
The suitable candidate should have the following:
- A third-level degree in a field suitable to the organisation e.g. Economics, Business, Politics
- Experience of working as part of a team, in a busy office, to tight deadlines
- Excellent research skills, both online, oral and written and communication skills
- Experience with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel and Outlook, PowerPoint
- Good basic knowledge of the European Union is required
If interested in this position please email Billie Sparks, Education and Advocacy Manager with your CV at billie@europeanmovement.ie along with a brief email outlining why you are interested in our stage programme by close of business 5 August 2011. If you would like any further information, please contact our office on +353 1 662 5815 and well be happy to answer any questions you may have.
July 11, 2011
17:07
European Court of Auditors Stage Opportunity
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

European Court of Auditors Stagiaire Position
In association with European Movement Ireland, the European Court of Auditors is pleased to offer a graduate the unique opportunity to intern in the private office of Eoin OShea, Irelands member of the European Court of Auditors, for a five month period commencing in October 2011.

About The European Court of Auditors
The European Court of Auditors is the European Unions external auditor. Together with overseeing the financial affairs of the EU, the Court also examines the effectiveness of European policies. Other areas of the Courts work include agriculture, structural funding and external aid. As well as being collegially responsible for all the Courts work, each Member of the Court has responsibility for a particular area.

About the Work of the Irish Member of the Court
Eoin OShea is a member of Chamber IV of the Court which handles the Courts work on EU Agencies, revenue, research, administration, EU banking and borrowing. He is responsible for the Courts work in 36 EU Agencies which currently employ 8,000 people throughout the EU and have an annual budget of EUR 2 Billion. Examples include: Europol (The Hague), the European Medicines Agency (London), EuroFound (Dublin) and the European Food Safety Authority (Parma). Eoin is also responsible for the Courts work on the EUs three new Financial Supervisory Authorities based in London, Paris, and Frankfurt.

Work of the Stagiaire
Participating in the work of the Irish cabinet, the successful Stagiaire will be afforded the following opportunities:
- Attend meetings of Chamber IV at the European Court of Auditors
- Accompany the Irish member of the Court to meetings at EU Agencies, the European Parliament and the European Commission
- Travel throughout the EU to locations of the various agencies will be involved
- Personal responsibility for individual projects will be assigned in consultation with Eoin OShea affording the successful candidate a unique birds-eye view of the workings of the European Union

Period of Stage: October 2011 to February 2012
Stage Location: Private Office of Eoin OShea
             European Court of Auditors
           12, rue Alcide De Gasperi
                         1615 Luxembourg
(Luxembourg is 3 hours by train from Brussels and 2 hours from Paris. The nearest low-cost airport is Frankfurt Hahn 1.25 hours away)
Remuneration: The traditional ECA Stage payment of EUR 1,120 per month will be supplemented to a total of EUR 2,000 per month for the successful candidate.
Travel expenses of EUR 500 to and from Luxembourg will also be refunded

For Further Information
www.eca.europa.eu (Website of the European Court of Auditors)

[europa.eu] (Information on EU Agencies)

http://eca.europa.eu/portal/pls/portal/docs/1/5336723.PDF (CV of Eoin OShea)

Required Experience
The successful candidate should have the following:
- A third level qualification in a field suitable to the work of the organisation, i.e. a degree which includes a law or business element
- Knowledge of and interest in EU matters is also needed
- Ability to work as part of a team in a busy office
- Good research (online, oral and written) and communication skills

If Interested
Interested applicants should submit their CV and letter of motivation by email to Noelle O Connell, Executive Director, European Movement Ireland, at noelle@europeanmovement.ie by close of business Wednesday 20 July 2011 clearly marking their application ECA Stage.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend for interview on Thursday 28 July 2011 at European Movement Ireland Offices, 6 Merrion Square, Dublin 2. The successful candidate will be made an offer subject to obtaining Garda Clearance. The Stagiaire will be required to attend a 2 day pre-stage induction and training course in European Movement Irelands Dublin office in September before departing for Luxembourg.

If you would like any further information, please contact our office at +353 1 662 5815 and we would be happy to deal with your query in relation to the ECA Stage programme. Alternatively, you can download this information by following this link to the EM Ireland Publications page.
July 08, 2011
9:05
Press Release: European Movement Ireland 2010 Accountability Report
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Dublin, 08 July 2011: "European Movement Ireland Accountability Report 2010: Annual Report Tracking Irelands engagement with the EU

Throughout 2010, European Movement Irelands Accountability Report measured key indicators tracking Irelands engagement with the EU. Examples of these indicators include: the number of Irish Submissions to European Commission Consultations, MEP participation and attendance at European Council Meetings by Irish Government Ministers.

One focus of the 2010 Accountability Report was to highlight the different levels of responsibility in how Ireland engages with the EU. Another aim of the Report was to find solutions to increase engagement in EU affairs in the national democratic institutions within Ireland.

According to EM Ireland Executive Director, Noelle OConnell, EM Irelands Accountability Report for 2010 has thrown up some very interesting facts. For example, average Irish MEP Attendance at European Parliament Plenary Sessions stands at 86% for 2010 with Irish MEPs raising nearly 1,000 parliamentary questions throughout 2010. Interestingly, the Report also found that Irish MEPs tended to vote along national lines rather than party political lines more than 80% of the time during the 2010 period.

The final report of the 2010 Accountability Campaign will be launched by EM Ireland Chairperson Mr Maurice Pratt on the 21 July 2011 at an EM Ireland event in EU House, 43 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2. On the night, Minister for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton TD, will also address attendees and former Taoiseach John Bruton will pay tribute to EM Ireland founding members Dr Garret FitzGerald and Mr Declan Costello.

Ends.

About European Movement Ireland European Movement Ireland is a not-for-profit organisation working to make the connection between Irish people and the EU. Through our education programmes and advocacy work, we campaign for every Irish person to get involved with the European Union, and by doing so help shape it through reasoned, robust and fair debate.

Available for comment

EM Irelands Executive Director, Noelle OConnell is available for comment. Please contact call 01-662 5815 or email info@europeanmovement.ie
July 07, 2011

Permalink for 'EM Ireland Member Event - Invitation'

9:29

EM Ireland Member Event - Invitation

» ‎ European Movement Ireland

June 23, 2011

Permalink for 'EM Ireland Member Event - Save the Date!'

8:27

EM Ireland Member Event - Save the Date!

» ‎ European Movement Ireland

June 22, 2011
17:07
European Court of Auditors Stage Opportunity
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

European Court of Auditors Stagiaire Position
In association with European Movement Ireland, the European Court of Auditors is pleased to offer a graduate the unique opportunity to intern in the private office of Eoin OShea, Irelands member of the European Court of Auditors, for a five month period commencing in October 2011.

About The European Court of Auditors
The European Court of Auditors is the European Unions external auditor. Together with overseeing the financial affairs of the EU, the Court also examines the effectiveness of European policies. Other areas of the Courts work include agriculture, structural funding and external aid. As well as being collegially responsible for all the Courts work, each Member of the Court has responsibility for a particular area.

About the Work of the Irish Member of the Court
Eoin OShea is a member of Chamber IV of the Court which handles the Courts work on EU Agencies, revenue, research, administration, EU banking and borrowing. He is responsible for the Courts work in 36 EU Agencies which currently employ 8,000 people throughout the EU and have an annual budget of EUR 2 Billion. Examples include: Europol (The Hague), the European Medicines Agency (London), EuroFound (Dublin) and the European Food Safety Authority (Parma). Eoin is also responsible for the Courts work on the EUs three new Financial Supervisory Authorities based in London, Paris, and Frankfurt.

Work of the Stagiaire
Participating in the work of the Irish cabinet, the successful Stagiaire will be afforded the following opportunities:
- Attend meetings of Chamber IV at the European Court of Auditors
- Accompany the Irish member of the Court to meetings at EU Agencies, the European Parliament and the European Commission
- Travel throughout the EU to locations of the various agencies will be involved
- Personal responsibility for individual projects will be assigned in consultation with Eoin OShea affording the successful candidate a unique birds-eye view of the workings of the European Union

Period of Stage: October 2011 to February 2012
Stage Location: Private Office of Eoin OShea
             European Court of Auditors
           12, rue Alcide De Gasperi
                         1615 Luxembourg
(Luxembourg is 3 hours by train from Brussels and 2 hours from Paris. The nearest low-cost airport is Frankfurt Hahn 1.25 hours away)
Remuneration: The traditional ECA Stage payment of EUR 1,120 per month will be supplemented to a total of EUR 2,000 per month for the successful candidate.
Travel expenses of EUR 500 to and from Luxembourg will also be refunded

For Further Information
www.eca.europa.eu (Website of the European Court of Auditors)

[europa.eu] (Information on EU Agencies)

http://eca.europa.eu/portal/pls/portal/docs/1/5336723.PDF (CV of Eoin OShea)

Required Experience
The successful candidate should have the following:
- A third level qualification in a field suitable to the work of the organisation, i.e. a degree which includes a finance or business element
- Knowledge of and interest in EU matters is also needed
- Ability to work as part of a team in a busy office
- Good research (online, oral and written) and communication skills

If Interested
Interested applicants should submit their CV and letter of motivation by email to Noelle O Connell, Executive Director, European Movement Ireland, at noelle@europeanmovement.ie by close of business Wednesday 20 July 2011 clearly marking their application ECA Stage.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend for interview on Thursday 28 July 2011 at European Movement Ireland Offices, 6 Merrion Square, Dublin 2. The successful candidate will be made an offer subject to obtaining Garda Clearance. The Stagiaire will be required to attend a 2 day pre-stage induction and training course in European Movement Irelands Dublin office in September before departing for Luxembourg.

If you would like any further information, please contact our office at +353 1 662 5815 and we would be happy to deal with your query in relation to the ECA Stage programme. Alternatively, you can download this information by following this link to the EM Ireland Publications page.
June 09, 2011
9:23
Statement on Passing of Declan Costello Founding Member of European Movement Ireland
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Dublin, 9 June 2011: European Movement Ireland (EM Ireland) would like to extend its condolences to the family and friends of founding member, Declan Costello, who sadly passed away on Monday.

A dedicated public servant, Mr Costello served as a Fine Gael TD for twenty years, as Attorney General for four years and as a member, and later President, of the High Court. Mr Costello made a profound contribution to European Movement Ireland as one of its founding members and his passing is deeply regretted.

According to EM Ireland Chairperson Maurice Pratt, Declan Costello was a founding member of our organisation. He believed in Irelands place at the heart of Europe through his work as one of Irelands representatives at the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and possessed a strong sense of integrity and social compassion. On behalf of EM Ireland, I would like to express our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.

Ends

Note

A founding member of European Movement Ireland, Declan Costello was one of the seven signatories of the organisations Articles of Association in 1954. Along with Donal OSullivan, Louis P F Smith, Denis Corboy, George J Colley, Sean J Healy and Dr Garret Fitzgerald, Mr Costello laid the first stone towards paving Irelands way to full EU membership.
May 23, 2011
13:39
Congratulations to European Movement Ireland Vice Chairperson Jillian van Turnhout on her nomination to Seanad Éireann
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

The Board and staff of European Movement Ireland (EM Ireland) warmly welcome the Taoiseachs nomination of European Movement Ireland Vice Chairperson, Jillian van Turnhout, to Seanad Éireann, and congratulate Jillian on her appointment.

In addition to being Chief Executive of the Childrens Rights Alliance, (a coalition of over 90 NGOs working for the rights and needs of children in Ireland), Jillian has also been a lifelong advocate and passionate supporter of the European Project.

As a State appointee to the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels for the past 12 years, Jillian has had the opportunity to build solid relationships within Europe and beyond. As Vice Chairperson of European Movement Ireland she has been active in several European referendum campaigns. As a result of these two roles, Jillian is in a privileged position to see how Ireland views Europe, but also how Europe views Ireland. With Irelands relationship with Europe now at a critical point, Jillians unique perspective and broad experience will undoubtedly be of enormous benefit in her new role.

European Movement Ireland Executive Director Noelle O Connell stated, As Vice Chairperson of European Movement Ireland, Jillians passion for European affairs has been a crucial asset to EM Ireland in our efforts to campaign for meaningful engagement in Ireland on European matters. Her work as a member of the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels is hugely significant. We wish her well in this new endeavour and thank her for her tremendous contribution to the Movement to date. We are certain that Jillian will continue her effective advocacy on meaningful engagement with Europe within the Seanad.

Ends.
12:12
Europe Day 2011
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

On Thursday 12 May, European Movement Ireland celebrated Europe Day 2011 with a lunchtime seminar in European Union House, Dawson Street, Dublin.

This lunchtime gathering highlighted the many ways Irish people can avail of opportunities to work, intern and volunteer in Europe. This event also served as an opportunity for our members, current and future, to meet with EM Irelands newly appointed Executive Director, Noelle O Connell.

Students, prospective volunteers and EM Irelands members were amongst those who turned out on the day to hear the advice of EM Irelands panel of speakers. Chairman of the EM Ireland Board, Maurice Pratt emphasized the importance of maintaining a European outlook while the organisations Executive Director Noelle highlighted the diverse range of opportunities on offer within Europe and also explained EM Irelands own Stage programme. Volunteering Ireland CEO Elaine Bradley was on hand to explain European Year of Volunteering 2011 and to outline the advantages of voluntary work both in a personal and civic capacity. Students were especially interested to hear the thoughts of former Commission and EMI stagiaire Alan McCarthy who spoke about his experiences both at EM Ireland and in Brussels and provided some very helpful insights into life in the Commission.

After the presentations, attendees enjoyed some lunch and had the chance to mingle with the speakers who were ready to answer any questions, while the latest copies of EM Irelands guide to interning and living in Brussels, the Green Book, were snapped up. Given the level of enthusiastic feedback on the day, it is fair to say that this years Europe Day event went down a treat with all those who came along. Thank you to all those who attended we look forward to seeing you next year.

Check out our photos of the event on our Facebook page.
May 19, 2011
11:43
Statement on Passing of Dr Garret Fitzgerald Founding Member of European Movement Ireland and
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Dublin, 19 May 2011: European Movement Ireland (EM Ireland) would like to extend its condolences to the family and friends of former Taoiseach and founding member of European Movement Ireland, Dr Garret Fitzgerald, who sadly passed away this morning.

A committed European, Dr Fitzgerald made invaluable contributions to the work of European Movement Ireland for over five decades. Initially as a Founding Member of the organisation and later through his role as Honorary President and as an active member of EM Irelands Advisory Council, his wisdom, insight, knowledge and passion for Europe helped guide the work of the Movement for over fifty seven years.

According to EM Ireland Chairperson Maurice Pratt, Garret was a leading member of our organisation whose vision, drive and integrity was an inspiration to all our members, particularly our younger members. His belief in the importance of Irelands place at the heart of Europe remained unwavering throughout his life and he worked tirelessly to achieve the objectives which European Movement Ireland was founded upon. Garret will be sorely missed and I would like to express our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.

Ends

Note

A founding member of European Movement Ireland, Dr Fitzgerald was one of the seven signatories of the organisations Articles of Association in 1954. Along with Donal OSullivan, Louis P F Smith, Denis Corboy, George J Colley, Declan Costello, and Sean J Healy, Dr Fitzgerald laid the first stone towards paving Irelands way to full EU membership.
March 31, 2011
9:46
News: Brussels Connection goes from strength to strength
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Once again, Kitty OSheas was the venue for one of the most popular Irish nights in Brussels, as the Irish community there turned out in force on Tuesday 22 March for EM Irelands first Brussels Connection event of 2011. Now in its third year, Brussels Connection has become a highlight in the Irish calendar in Brussels and continues to go from strength to strength. A great chance for the Irish network in Brussels to get together and catch up over a few drinks, Brussels Connection has become known as an excellent opportunity for old friends to re-connect, for new stagiaires to find their place in the citys Irish community and for this new class of stagiaires to benefit from the advice and inspiration Irish officials there have to offer on navigating a European career path.

This particular Brussels Connection night was particularly significant as it allowed friends and colleagues of our Executive Director, Andrea Pappin, to say their goodbyes as Andrea prepares to move on from EM Ireland after 3 years with the organisation. Reminiscing a-plenty followed Andreas welcome address and it is certainly true to say that the friends of EM Ireland in Brussels gave Andrea a memorable and fond farewell.

Finally, Volume IV of our Brussels guide the Green Book was available on the night, although copies were quickly snapped up. Those interested in getting their hands on a hard copy of the Green Book should contact the office. Alternatively, it is also available for download from our website.

It was particularly lovely this year to see so many old faces back again; from staff of the European Institutions, to members of the Irish Permanent Representation; from the former stagiaires now working in Brussels, to the new stagiaires eager to stay beyond their 5 month traineeship; there was a broad mix of ages, occupations and expertise present which made for lively conversation and general good craic! Pictures of the night are now available to view on the EM Ireland Facebook page.

EM Ireland would like to thank all those who attended Brussels Connection 2011 it really was a fantastic night for the Irish. We do hope you all enjoyed the event and we look forward to seeing you again at our next Brussels Connection in October.
March 18, 2011
16:40
News: My Vision for Europe 2011 Final
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

The 2011 My Vision for Europe schools competition drew to a close this month as teams from each European Parliament constituency on the island of Ireland travelled to Dublin on Friday 11 March to represent their regions at the national final.

Hosted in the Irish Film Institute in Dublins city centre, the final event featured short presentations from each team. During these presentations, team members discussed the inspiration for their videos, traced the creative journey they undertook and outlined the technical and creative problems they faced during the video-making process, as well as the lessons they learned. The team presentations were then followed by a screening of their video on the main screen of the IFI.

Several teams mentioned the limitations of the poor equipment in their schools as a significant problem they faced. Despite this, the feedback from the schools was extremely positive, with all of the students crediting the My Vision project for bringing their class closer together, teaching them new skills and sparking an interest in an area that few of them had any previous interest or experience in.

After lunch in the IFI, the judging panel returned from their deliberations and announced the winners; from Northern Ireland, Methodist College, Belfast, and from the South, Coláiste Chiaráin, Kildare. Both of these teams won a trip to Euroscola in Strasbourg where they will have the opportunity to meet with young people from all over Europe and experience a taste of life as a Member of the European Parliament. The three runners-up did not go away empty-handed; each received a video camera for their school to help budding young filmmakers and future My Vision entrants!

The panel of judges were highly impressed by the quality of this years entries, and particularly noted the level of teamwork on display in the films and the class presentations, as well as the message of the videos which served as a reminder that the EU is not just about dry policies, but people, teamwork and solidarity.
Coláiste Chiaráins Captain Europe summed it up best when he said: My Vision for Europe is a film competition with a meaning. Its not just about making a film but its about trying to put a message out there thats much more of a challenge than just making a film.

Each of the 5 video finalists is available to view on the European Movement Ireland Facebook page.
March 09, 2011
16:24
News: The Programme for Government & Europe
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

As the dust settles after Election 2011, we at European Movement Ireland were particularly keen to see how the new Programme for Government (PfG) would deal with Europe. In the past, we have witnessed Programmes for Government where the extent of the dealings with Europe amounted to a bullet-pointed paragraph, so were pleasantly surprised and impressed by the level of detail afforded to this subject in the most recent document.

Overall, the treatment of the EU in the Programme for Government is significant and very positive. There are two dedicated sections which deal comprehensively with how both our government, and we as a country, work with our European partners, and we at European Movement Ireland very much welcome the development of this discussion. We hope that the new government remains committed to placing European issues to the fore in what are very difficult economic times. We will be watching

Weve highlighted the main points that deal with the EU below:

Economy
As youd expect, the EU-IMF deal features strongly in this section. Both Fine Gael and the Labour Party had proposed changes to this deal in their manifestos.   The PfG states that both partiessought and secured, a strong mandate from the Irish electorate to renegotiate a more credible package that is better for both Ireland and Europe. There is a commitment to get the deficit down to 3% by 2015.

The programme also seeks to promote innovation as one of the pillars of the European Commissions EU2020 strategy and promote an EU model of fair use in European Copyright Law, bringing more digital innovators and internet businesses to Ireland.

Other key local features include a commitment to promote Ireland as a European hub for seafood processing. There is also a commitment to promote the issues of young farmers and the dairy and meat sectors in any CAP reform proposals, while maintaining a fair budget share for Irish agriculture under a revised CAP.

Reform
Reform features very strongly in a dedicated section on the National Parliament and the EU, which is a very new and welcome development. Proposals in this area are very simple, yet could be hugely effective.   For the first time, Ministers will be obliged to appear before Oireachtas Committees prior to making decisions at EU Council meetings, as will the Taoiseach in the Dáil.

As well as this, there is a greater focus on Irish priorities in the EU through a more detailed examination of the EUs Annual Work Programme and how Ireland would like to influence it.

Other reforms include spending limits in European elections, a week long EU discussion in the Dáil around Europe Day (9 May) and the creation of an Irish version of the European level Citizens Initiative supported by a special Dáil committee.

Fairness
While light on European issues, this section does deal with some important matters. Crime is addressed; the new government proposes the setting up of a new DNA database to assist Gardaí and enhance EU cooperation on crime.

Also featured is a commitment to examine the payment of child benefit to non-resident EU children.

Progress
In this detailed section of the Programme, the Government heavily commits to improving Irelands relationships abroad stating; We are determined to restore Irelands standing as a respected and influential member of the EU and as part of the wider international community.

In a dedicated section on Ireland in Europe, there are three proposals:
1.    Commit to the EU2020 Strategy and its creation of employment and smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
2.    Hold an Independent Audit into how Ireland works with EU legislation
3.    Enhance the Irish role in EU judicial and home affairs (JHA) cooperation.

In relation to energy policy, the goal is to publish a Climate Change Bill in line with EU2020 targets. As Ireland is already committed to this strategy it is good to see that it is given attention in the Programme. There are also a number of commitments to the Irish agri-food sector and an aim to establish a Sea Fisheries Sustainability Impact Assessment before EU fisheries negotiations start later this year.

This document is available to download by following this link.
10:56
Event: Brussels Connection Drinks
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Brussels Connection Drinks

Venue: Kitty OSheas (42 Boulevard Charlemagne, 1040 Brussels)
Time: Tuesday 22 March, 6pm

Here at European Movement Ireland we like to do our bit to help Irish stagiaires settle in to their stages and to their new lives in Brussels and so, twice a year, we hold the Brussels Connection event.
The Brussels Connection event is a great chance for the Irish network in Brussels to get together and catch up over a few drinks. It is also an excellent opportunity for Irish officials working across the EU Institutions to meet with the new class of Irish stagiaires and offer them advice and inspiration for their future careers in Europe.

This particular Brussels Connection night will also allow friends and colleagues of our Executive Director, Andrea Pappin, to say their farewells as Andrea prepares to move on from EM Ireland after 3 years with the organisation.

On the night, copies of Volume III of our Brussels guide for stagiaires, the Green Book, will also be available; a book which you may have already heard about and which you certainly cant do without!

RSVP to info@europeanmovement.ie.

We look forward to seeing you there.
February 22, 2011

Permalink for 'My Vision for Europe Finalists Announced'

16:11

My Vision for Europe Finalists Announced

» ‎ European Movement Ireland

16:11

News: My Vision for Europe Finalists Announced

» ‎ European Movement Ireland

February 09, 2011
15:24
News: Executive Director Recruitment
» ‎ European Movement Ireland
European Movement Ireland is a not-for-profit organisation working to make the connection between Irish people and the EU, campaigning for every Irish person to get involved with the European Union and by doing so, help shape it. Through running a series of campaigns, and education and training programmes, we campaign for Europe to be discussed in Ireland every day not just on referendum day.

After a period of strategic redevelopment over the last number of years, we are looking to hire a new Executive Director.

Overall role

In fulfilling the overall strategic aims for the role - which are the delivery of the agreed annual European Movement Ireland work programme, the securing of sustainable funding channels to achieve the organisations objectives and the development of organisational capacity and profile the Executive Director is expected:
- To deliver on the organisations business plan through implementation of strategic objectives and an agreed annual work programme
- To ensure that new programmes are designed and implemented in a way that meets the organisational strategic goals and objectives.
- To drive the financial success of the organisation through careful management of finances and development of new funding channels
- To lead and manage the organisation in line with the organisational ethos, values and culture, while being accountable to the Chair of the Board of Directors
- To provide direction and leadership to staff in the Executive by continually reviewing and improving the team thus enabling the implementation of the strategic plan
- To act as the chief spokesperson for the organisation both domestically & internationally
- To develop key strategic partnerships with key stakeholders in the Irish and EU arena
Experience and Knowledge
- Education to honours degree level in a European-related discipline (or similar discipline)
- Management experience of both team and finances
- Experience of developing and implementing strategic plans
- Knowledge and understanding of the external policy environment as it relates to Irelands relationship to the European Union is essential
- Knowledge of non-governmental organisations and the environment in which they operate
- Experience in project management with a track record of delivering on objectives
Skills and Special Aptitudes
- Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills
- Strong analytical skills, notably dealing with complex subject matters
- Attention to detail with strong organisational and multi-tasking skills
- Ability to work calmly under pressure and in a collegial fashion within a small dynamic team
- Ability to manage a complex workload
- Excellent interpersonal and networking skills
- Though not essential a second European language would be useful
Terms

This is a 2 year appointment with a 6 month probationary period. The job will carry a reward package commensurate with the seniority of the position.

Location

European Movement Ireland, 6 Merrion Square, Dublin 2

Relationships

This person will lead the management team, working closely with the Education & Advocacy Manager and Communications Officer. They will supervise the work of a number of stagiaires, manage project groups of members and potentially a number of project managers, both paid and unpaid. The Executive Director reports to the Board of the organisation on a regular and timely basis and will work closely with the Board chairperson.

To apply

Please send a cover letter outlining why you are applying for this role, along with a copy of your CV and the names of three references to recruitment@europeanmovement.ie. It is also essential as part of your application to provide us with details of your current salary expectations.

Closing date

Applications must be received by 5pm on Friday 25 February
15:24
News: Executive Director Recruitment
» ‎ European Movement Ireland
European Movement Ireland is a not-for-profit organisation working to make the connection between Irish people and the EU, campaigning for every Irish person to get involved with the European Union and by doing so, help shape it. Through running a series of campaigns, and education and training programmes, we campaign for Europe to be discussed in Ireland every day not just on referendum day.

After a period of strategic redevelopment over the last number of years, we are looking to hire a new Executive Director.

Overall role

In fulfilling the overall strategic aims for the role - which are the delivery of the agreed annual European Movement Ireland work programme, the securing of sustainable funding channels to achieve the organisations objectives and the development of organisational capacity and profile the Executive Director is expected:
- To deliver on the organisations business plan through implementation of strategic objectives and an agreed annual work programme
- To ensure that new programmes are designed and implemented in a way that meets the organisational strategic goals and objectives.
- To drive the financial success of the organisation through careful management of finances and development of new funding channels
- To lead and manage the organisation in line with the organisational ethos, values and culture, while being accountable to the Chair of the Board of Directors
- To provide direction and leadership to staff in the Executive by continually reviewing and improving the team thus enabling the implementation of the strategic plan
- To act as the chief spokesperson for the organisation both domestically & internationally
- To develop key strategic partnerships with key stakeholders in the Irish and EU arena
Experience and Knowledge
- Education to honours degree level in a European-related discipline (or similar discipline)
- Management experience of both team and finances
- Experience of developing and implementing strategic plans
- Knowledge and understanding of the external policy environment as it relates to Irelands relationship to the European Union is essential
- Knowledge of non-governmental organisations and the environment in which they operate
- Experience in project management with a track record of delivering on objectives
Skills and Special Aptitudes
- Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills
- Strong analytical skills, notably dealing with complex subject matters
- Attention to detail with strong organisational and multi-tasking skills
- Ability to work calmly under pressure and in a collegial fashion within a small dynamic team
- Ability to manage a complex workload
- Excellent interpersonal and networking skills
- Though not essential a second European language would be useful
Terms

This is a 2 year appointment with a 6 month probationary period. The job will carry a reward package commensurate with the seniority of the position.

Location

European Movement Ireland, 6 Merrion Square, Dublin 2

Relationships

This person will lead the management team, working closely with the Education & Advocacy Manager and Communications Officer. They will supervise the work of a number of stagiaires, manage project groups of members and potentially a number of project managers, both paid and unpaid. The Executive Director reports to the Board of the organisation on a regular and timely basis and will work closely with the Board chairperson.

To apply

Please send a cover letter outlining why you are applying for this role, along with a copy of your CV and the names of three references to recruitment@europeanmovement.ie. It is also essential as part of your application to provide us with details of your current salary expectations.

Closing date

Applications must be received by 5pm on Friday 25 February
12:06
News: Summer Stage Applications Now Being Accepted
» ‎ European Movement Ireland
European Movement Ireland is a not-for-profit organisation that works to make the connection between Irish people and the EU. Though a variety of education and advocacy programmes, we campaign for every Irish person to get involved in the European Union and by doing so, help shape it.

Over the last number of years, European Movement Ireland has developed a highly successful stage programme, where recent graduates undertake a four to six month placement in our offices at 6 Merrion Square, Dublin 2. There is a Spring, Summer and Autumn stage programme, starting in January, May and September respectively. For the first time, European Movement Ireland is making their summer stage programme available to undergraduates only.

Working as part of a team, successful candidates will be offered the following opportunities:
- Assignment of individual project work, working to a high level of own responsibility and initiative
- Opportunities for practical research, event management and direct stakeholder engagement
- Learn about the EU in greater detail
- Development of highly transferable office skills
- First-hand engagement with the Irish legislative system, current issues and influential figures
- Monthly training courses in both practical office skills and relevant issue-specific tutorials
- Direct experience with key players in the public affairs sector
- Career development advice and mentoring
- Subsidised travel
European Movement Ireland is now accepting undergraduate applications for our summer stagiaire programme. Deadline for applications is Friday 18 March 2011.

The suitable candidate should have the following:
- Undertaking study in a third-level degree in a field suitable to the organisation e.g. European Studies, Law, Politics
- Ability to work as part of a team, in a busy office
- Good research skills, both online, oral and written
- Experience with Microsoft Office, including Word and Outlook
- Good basic knowledge of the European Union is required
If interested in this position please email Andrea Pappin, Executive Director with your CV to andrea@europeanmovement.ie along with a brief email outlining why you are interested in our stage programme by close of business Friday 18 March 2011. If you would like any further information, please contact our office at +353 1 662 5815 and well be happy to answer any questions you may have about this programme.
February 02, 2011
16:55
Event: UCC Conference for young peoples views on EU
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Brussels and us - the big black hole of democracy,a conference for young citizens between 18 and 35, will be held between 10am and 4pm on 12 February 2011 in UCC.
The aim of this conference is to allow young people to express their views on the European Union. The conference will focus on three key issues relating to the development of the European Union and the place of Ireland within it:

the perceived democratic deficit regarding the European institutions

the perceived democratic deficit in relation to foreign policy

Irish identity and values within the European Union.

The conference will have a plenary session in the morning featuring three key speakers: UCD Professor, Ben Tonra; European correspondent with the Irish Examiner, Ann Cahill; and Paul Gillespie, journalist, academic and author. Professor Neil Collins, Dean of the Faculty of Commerce and Head of the Department of Government in UCC, will chair the morning session.

In the afternoon, the group will be divided into workshops where the speakers will engage with paqrticipants and discuss their views as well as recommendations.

Besides undergraduate and postgraduate UCC students, students from each politics department in Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, Dublin College University, Maynooth University, Limerick University and NUI Galway are invited to attend.

If you would like to attend, please email Emmanuelle Schon at e.schon@u cc.ie as soon as possible. There are no registration fees and free tea, coffee and lunch will be provided.

More information is available at [www.ucc.ie] .
December 17, 2010
10:31
News: Job Opportunity with Transatlantic Public Affairs
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

The political consultancy firm, Transatlantic Public Affairs, are currently looking to hire a motivated and enthusiastic analyst of EU politics and political economy. Initially a part-time position, there is the possibility that this will develop into a full-time role in time.

Please follow the link for the job description and candidate criteria

To apply for the position, please submit CFV, cover letter and any references to james@transatlanticpa.com with the job title in the subject line.
December 06, 2010
16:57
Campaign Update: IT Tallaght Career Talks Postponed
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

European Movement Ireland's Career Talks, scheduled to talk place in IT Tallaght tomorrow, have been cancelled due to bad weather.

The talks will now take place early in January. Keep an eye on the website for more information or, as ever, feel free to contact Eleanor at eleanor@europeanmovement.ie or on (01) 662 5815.

Apologies for any inconvenience or disappointment caused.
December 02, 2010
18:20
Campaign Update: Grad Jobs in Europe Presentation
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

The European Movement Ireland offices have been inundated with requests for copies of the Powerpoint presentation Executive Director Andrea Pappin has been giving in universities and ITs around the country for the past few weeks. And so here it is...

Grad Jobs in Europe Campaign: Working in Europe Presentation

As ever, anyone with questions should contact Eleanor in the office on (01) 662 5815 or email eleanor@europeanmovement.ie.
13:39
Campaign Update: EU Institutions Agree New Measures for Citizens' Petitions
» ‎ European Movement Ireland
Representatives of all three EU institutions this week outlined an agreement on implementation of the European Citizens' Initiative, paving the way for the first petitions to be accepted next year once outstanding issues have been ironed out later this month.

At a trialogue meeting last Tuesday evening (30 November), officials from the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council, agreed on admissibility criteria for the Commission to accept a petition.

The tentative deal met most of the demands set out by MEPs the previous day following a vote in the European Parliament's Constitutional Affairs Committee.
- It has been agreed that the minimum age for signing a petition should be the European election voting age in the country concerned
- The three institutions agreed that a check will be carried out to determine whether an initiative is admissible at the point of registration
- To ensure that petitions are "well-founded and have a European dimension," a 'citizens' committee' of at least seven members coming from seven EU countries will be set-up to register an initiative. This means that a previous admissibility threshold of 300,000 signatures has been scrapped
- Under the terms of the trialogue deal, signatories of a Citizens Petition must come from a minimum of one quarter of EU countries. The Commission had initially proposed that this threshold be one third, while the Parliament wanted a minimum of one fifth.
- The Commission will also help the organisers of an initiative by providing a user-friendly guide and setting up a help desk
- It was also agreed that it should be left to individual countries to verify the authenticity of signatures and that governments would be free to decide how to do so. Countries will thus have some flexibility in choosing which personal information is required from signatories. The Parliament is keen to make sure that signing a Citizens Petition as easy as possible, primarily by ensuring that only a minimum amount of personal data is required
The institutions hope to put the finishing touches to the agreement in ongoing talks ahead of a meeting of national experts on 8 December.

Outstanding issues

According to EU sources, one key issue that remains to be resolved include practicalities surrounding the organisation of public hearings with representatives of the EU institutions once organisers have successfully collected a million signatures, as well as the translation of the petitions into the EU's official languages.

Uncertainty also surrounds the timing of the regulation's entry into force, with sources suggesting that it may not come into effect for another year.

What's Next

13 December - Once finalised, the deal will be submitted to a vote in the European Parliament's Constitutional Affairs Committee

16 December - Formal adoption of the regulation on implementing the Citizens Initiative during the Parliament's plenary session

Adapted version. Full news story available from Euractiv.com at [www.euractiv.com] , 2 December 2010.
November 22, 2010
12:16
Campaign Update: Dates added for Career Talks in GMIT, NUIG and UCD
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

See below for more Career Talk dates...

For further information contact Eleanor in the European Movement offices on (01) 662 5815 or eleanor@europeanmovement.ie

UCC

Wednesday 3 November @ 2pm and 4pm DONE

CIT

Wednesday 3 November @ 6.30pm DONE

University of Limerick

Thursday 4 November @ 9.30am DONE

LIT

Thursday 4 November @ 11.25am DONE

WIT

Thursday 11 November, 6.00pm DONE

Trinity

Wednesday 17 November, 3.00pm DONE

GMIT

Thursday 25 November, 11.00am DONE

NUI Galway

Thursday 25 November, 2.00pm DONE

UCD

Monday 29 November, 4.00pm DONE

Trinty

Tuesday 30 November, 6.00pm DONE

IT Tallaght

Tuesday 7 December, 12.00pm

Our Career Talk in IT Tallaght has been cancelled due to anticipated bad weather. It will be rescheduled for early in January. Check back in after Christmas for details.

DCU

Thursday 9 December, 12.00pm and 2:00pm
November 15, 2010
11:48
Campaign Update: Trinity College Dublin Career Talk
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

EM Ireland Executive Director Andrea Pappin will be in Trinity this Wednesday, 17 November at 3pm to talk to students from all years about opportunities to work and intern in Europe.

If youd like to attend or simply want more info, please contact Eleanor in the EM Ireland offices on (01) 662 5815 or eleanor@europeanmovement.ie.
11:48
TEST Campaign Update: Story
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

EM Ireland Executive Director Andrea Pappin will be in Trinity this Wednesday, 17 November at 3pm to talk to students from all years about opportunities to work and intern in Europe.

If youd like to attend or simply want more info, please contact Eleanor in the EM Ireland offices on (01) 662 5815 or eleanor@europeanmovement.ie.
11:48
Campaign Update: Trinity College Dublin Career Talk (copy 1)
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

EM Ireland Executive Director Andrea Pappin will be in Trinity this Wednesday, 17 November at 3pm to talk to students from all years about opportunities to work and intern in Europe.

If youd like to attend or simply want more info, please contact Eleanor in the EM Ireland offices on (01) 662 5815 or eleanor@europeanmovement.ie.
11:48
Campaign Update: Trinity College Dublin Career Talk
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

EM Ireland Executive Director Andrea Pappin will be in Trinity this Wednesday, 17 November at 3pm to talk to students from all years about opportunities to work and intern in Europe.

If youd like to attend or simply want more info, please contact Eleanor in the EM Ireland offices on (01) 662 5815 or eleanor@europeanmovement.ie.
November 11, 2010
15:52
Campaign Update: Citizens Initiative could backfire, warns Harkin
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

The Citizens Initiative could lead to huge cynicism if the process is not clearly explained, says Independent MEP Marian Harkin. She goes on to suggest that problems could arise when the Commission rejects citizens petitions, as will sometimes invariably happen.

When a million signatures are gathered on the one issue there will be high expectation that the EU will act. If the initiative is rejected even for valid reasons, it could stir up tremendous frustration among ordinary people, said Ms Harkin.

The scheme was discussed by a key EU committee this week in a bid to sort out practical details such as how many countries will need to be involved in a petition, and the time scale for submission. More details on these discussions can be found here.

Speaking from Brussels, Marian Harkin MEP said while these logistics can be agreed, it will be crucial to explain every step of the process clearly to the public to avoid large-scale disappointment when initiatives are unsuccessful.

Adapted version. Full news story available from Eurolink Dublin newsletter, 11 November 2010.
14:54
News: Spring Stage Applications Now Being Accepted
» ‎ European Movement Ireland
European Movement Ireland is a not-for-profit organisation that works to make the connection between Irish people and the EU. Though a variety of education and advocacy programmes, we campaign for every Irish person to get involved in the European Union and by doing so, help shape it.

Over the last number of years, European Movement Ireland has developed a highly successful stage programme, where recent graduates undertake a four to six month placement in our offices at 6 Merrion Square, Dublin 2. This unpaid position requires a minimum commitment of four months. There is a Spring, Summer and Autumn stage programme, starting in January, May and September respectively.

Working as part of a team, successful candidates will be offered the following opportunities:
- Assignment of individual project work, working to a high level of own responsibility and initiative
- Opportunities for practical research, event management and direct stakeholder engagement
- Learn about the EU in greater detail
- Development of highly transferable office skills
- First-hand engagement with the Irish legislative system, current issues and influential figures
- Monthly training courses in both practical office skills and relevant issue-specific tutorials
- Direct experience with key players in the public affairs sector
- Career development advice and mentoring
- Subsidised travel
European Movement Ireland is now accepting applications for our spring stagiaire programme. Deadline for applications is Friday 19 November 2010.

The suitable candidate should have the following:
- Third-level degree in a field suitable to the organisation e.g. European Studies, Law, Politics
- Ability to work as part of a team, in a busy office
- Good research skills, both online, oral and written
- Experience with Microsoft Office, including Word and basic knowledge of the European Union is required
If interested in this position please email Andrea Pappin, Executive Director, with your CV at andrea@europeanmovement.ie, including a brief email outlining why you are interested in our stage programme, by close of business Friday 18 November 2010.

If you would like any further information, please contact our office at +353 1 662 5815 and well be happy to answer any questions you may have.
November 10, 2010
13:32
Campaign Update: Proposed changes to Citizens Initiative
» ‎ European Movement Ireland
"The Citizens' Initiative needs to be a simple and user-friendly tool, stressed the rapporteurs at the first presentation of their report in the Constitutional Affairs Committee on Tuesday.

To have this tool in place as soon as possible, Parliament's rapporteurs Alain Lamassoure (EPP, France) and Zita Gurmai (S&D, Hungary) are working very closely with the two rapporteurs of the associated Petitions Committee, Diana Wallis (ALDE, UK) and Gerald Häfner (Greens/EFA, Denmark).

Proposed changes
- The rapporteurs suggest that contrary to the Commission proposal of checking the admissibility of an initiative only after 300 000 signatures have been collected, the check is done already at the point of registration on the Commission's website. The earlier check would guarantee that citizens do not end up signing initiatives that do not fill the criteria.
- To ensure the seriousness and the European dimension of proposed initiatives, the draft report suggests a citizens' committee of at least seven members coming from seven EU countries should be set up to register an initiative. A Commission representative indicated that deleting the requirement of 300 000 signatures for an admissibility check could be possible if the citizens' committee is taken into use instead.
- The Lisbon Treaty says the signatories of a Citizens' Initiative have to come from a "significant number" of EU countries. The Commission and Council have stated that this figure should be one third of EU countries, while Parliament's rapporteurs argue one fifth is enough. This would bring the number down from nine to six countries.
- The draft report aims also at simplifying the signing of initiatives by deleting the obligation to give an ID card number when signing. This was, however, contested by a Council representative who reminded that EU countries have to be able to effectively verify the authenticity of the signatures.
Next step

The Constitutional Affairs Committee aims to vote on the report on the Citizens' Initiative at its next meeting which takes place 29-30 November. The plenary vote could then be held in December. The EU countries have asked for 12 months for the national implementation of the new legislation."

Adapted version. Full news story available from [www.europarl.europa.eu] .
12:33
Campaign Update: Andrea Pappin on Cork Campus Radio
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Executive Director Andrea Pappin chats to Cork Campus Radio reporter Eoin Stafford about European Movement Irelands Grad Jobs in Europe campaign while in UCC recently. Follow the link to hear the interview in its entirety.

The rustling noise in the background is the sound of Andrea flicking through volume 3 of the Green Book 100 pages of stage opportunities compiled by European Movement for your reading pleasure.

Stay tuned for information on EM Ireland career talks at a third-level institutions near you...
November 08, 2010
16:06
Campaign Updates: Waterford Career Talk
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

EM Ireland Executive Director Andrea Pappin will be in WIT this Thursday, 11 November.

If youd like to attend or simply want more info, please contact Eleanor in the EM Ireland offices on (01) 662 5815 or eleanor@europeamovement.ie.
16:06
Campaign Update: Waterford Career Talk
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

EM Ireland Executive Director Andrea Pappin will be in WIT this Thursday, 11 November.

If youd like to attend or simply want more info, please contact Eleanor in the EM Ireland offices on (01) 662 5815 or eleanor@europeamovement.ie.
15:51
Campaign Update: Career Talk Season Kicks Off in Cork and Limerick
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

European Movement Ireland went on the road last week as Executive Director Andrea Pappin spoke to students in Cork and Limerick about the job and internship opportunities available for them in Europe. Many more Career Talks are coming down the line; keep an eye on the dates for your college by regularly checking our website.

Speaking to first year BA Politics student and first year BSc Government students in UCC, post-graduates in CIT, first year BA European Studies students in UL and a mixture of staff and students in LIT, Andreas presentation outlined the range of stage opportunities in the EU system available to Irish undergraduates and graduates, and provided useful insights and vital tips to help students on their way to getting one.

According to one UCC student who attended Wednesdays talk: I consider myself very lucky to have attended; you answered many questions that I didn't even know I should ask!.

That is, in a nutshell, what European Movement Ireland is aiming to achieve with these talks; we want to educate people about the opportunities that exist for them in the European space and encourage those graduates considering emigration, to look to Belgium and Luxembourg instead of the US and Australia, as places where they can develop successful, fulfilling careers.

For pictures of our visit down south, take a look at our Facebook page.

You can hear a taster of Andreas presentation in her interview with Limericks Wired FM.

For more information, feel free to contact Eleanor in the EM Ireland offices at (01) 662 5818 or email her at eleanor@europeanmovement.ie.
November 05, 2010
12:23
Campaign Update: Changing the Rules for Citizens Initiative Petitions
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Members of the European Parliament want to make it easier for Europe's citizens to petition for legislation, setting a lower threshold than the national governments for a petition to be accepted.

The EU's Lisbon Treaty says that not less than one million citizens from a significant number of member states may take the initiative of inviting the European Commission to propose legislation.

The Commission, the Parliament and the Council of Ministers now have to agree on the details of how such European citizens' initiatives (ECI) might work.

A clear point of disagreement is emerging over how many member states constitute a significant number. Whereas the Commission proposed and the member states have agreed that signatures should come from at least nine member states, the Parliament wants to set the bar lower, at five member states.

Aside from the threshold of how many member states need be involved, other problems include how to check the admissibility of the initiatives and how long organisers should have to collect signatures. The Commission and Council plans call for a 12-month limit, while MEPs have called for between 18 and 24 months, arguing that citizens should be given more time to reach one million signatories. The Council is pushing for member states to have the right to verify the identity of those who sign by asking for identity card numbers. The MEPs reject this idea.

More than 20 initiatives have already been launched by various groups across the EU, even before the regulation on the ECI has been approved. Greenpeace, for instance, already has 1.2 million signatures for an initiative launched in March aimed at forcing the Commission to stop approving genetically modified crops.

The European Disability Forum (EDF) has since 2007 gathered 1.4 million signatures demanding the EU introduce better rights for people with disabilities. Aurélien Daydé of the EDF said he hoped that the ECI, once formalised, would not involve a lot of red tape for civil-society groups such as his to submit initiatives.

An official from the Belgian EU presidency said that it was too early to say on what points member states would be willing to compromise with MEPs.

Adapted version. Full news story available from [www.europeanvoice.com]
October 29, 2010
9:15
News Flash: Tom McGurk grateful for the EU
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

People may be aware that our Executive Director Andrea Pappin has been a regular guest on Tom McGurk's drivetime show on 4FM over the past year.

Not known for his European enthusiasm, Tom made a surprising admission on his show on the 1 October that we can only put down to Andrea's incredible powers of persuasion.

Have a listen for yourself around the 3.00 minute mark

For more aural entertainment keep an eye on our Twitter feed @emireland where well let you know when Andrea will be appearing on the airwaves.
October 28, 2010
14:58
Campaign Update: Grad Jobs in Europe Career Talks
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Here at European Movement Ireland we are running a Grad Jobs in Europe campaign as one of our three lead campaigns for 2010. At a time when unemployment is rife, and many students worry about their career prospects after college, this campaign has been developed to show students the vast scope for career development that the European system has to offer, and to encourage graduates who are considering emigration to look to Brussels and Luxembourg to fulfill their career ambitions.

As part of this campaign, our Executive Director Andrea Pappin will be speaking at third-level institutions all over Ireland to brief undergrads and graduates on all the career opportunities that there are in the EU system and to provide advice on how they could get started on an EU career path.

These career talks will be taking place at the following institutions in the coming weeks. More dates to be finalized over the coming days so check back here for news of when we will be in your town.

UCC

Wednesday 3 November @ 2pm and 4pm DONE

CIT

Wednesday 3 November @ 6.30pm DONE

University of Limerick

Thursday 4 November @ 9.30am DONE

LIT

Thursday 4 November @ 11.25am DONE

WIT

Thursday 11 November, 6.00pm DONE

Trinity

Wednesday 17 November, 3.00pm

Check back soon for news of talks in:

NUIG

GMIT

UCD

ITT

DCU
October 21, 2010
9:47
Campaign Update: EM Ireland brief European Affairs Oireachtas Committee on Accountability Campaign
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Executive Director Andrea Pappin appeared in front of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs on the 05 October last to brief the Committee on the work this organisation is doing through our Accountability Campaign. The discussion between Andrea and the Committee members was extremely productive and the feedback from the Deputies and Senators in attendance was extremely positive. The full transcript of the Committee meeting is available here.

Our members may be interested to know that our data research is going extremely well and we are starting to see some very interesting results.

For those amongst you who arent fully up to speed with Accountability, the aim of this campaign is to highlight who exactly is responsible for decision-making in the EU, breaking down where the decisions that affect Ireland are made, who they are made by, and how these people can be influenced. In order to do this, European Movement Ireland has identified 20 quantifiable indicators that we are tracking throughout the year in order to show just how Ireland is doing in the European system. From input into policy devising, to the way we vote in the Council, European Movement is counting Irelands progress in 2010. The role our Irish representatives play in EU processes, and the influence they have on the EU institutions, is a central focus.

For any members who would like to know more about the Accountability Campaign, we would be happy to meet with you and brief you further; please dont hesitate to contact the European Movement Ireland offices.
October 19, 2010
16:09
News: College of Europe Scholarships
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

European Movement Ireland are pleased to announce that they will be running the selection of College of Europe scholarship students for the year 2010-2011.

Every year, the Irish Government funds three Irish students to study at Masters Level at the College of Europe based in Bruges, Belgium. The scholarship programme is open to students who study politics, law, economics and European Studies (though a good level of French is also required). The courses offered at the College of Europe offer an excellent opportunity for Irish graduates who are interested in working in Europe to experience education in a truly international environment and to get their European career off to an excellent start.

European Movement Ireland had traditionally run this programme before it moved to the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA). Earlier this year, when the IIEA approached us to see if we would like to take it back, we were more than happy to oblige. Here at European Movement we feel that it is a really good fit with our other educational programmes and our Grad Jobs in Europe campaign and look forward to working with our partners in this project.

Selection Process

The application process opens from late-October onwards. Applicants will need to fill in an online application form available on the College of Europe website www.coleurop.be and send this application, with the required supporting documents, to both the College of Europe and to the Selection Committee at European Movement Ireland by mid-January 2011.

The Selection Committee and the College of Europe will then select the candidates to be called for interview. Interviews will take place in March and April 2011. Successful applicants will be offered a place on the scholarship program in late April 2011.

Further details about the scholarship programme and the application procedure will be released in late October. However if, in the meantime, you have any queries at all about this programme please feel free to contact us at bruges@europeanmovement.ie or call the European Movement Ireland offices on 01-6625815.
October 15, 2010
16:26
Event: AGM 2010
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

European Movement Irelands Annual Report 2009 was presented at our recent AGM, held on the 25 October in European Union House, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2. Despite the Arthurs Day festivities and appalling weather, turnout was excellent and contributions from several of our members over the course of the meeting were extremely informative and very welcome.

The meeting began with AGM formalities, after which President of European Movement International, Pat Cox, spoke briefly to acknowledge the work completed by the Organisation in 2009. Discussion from the floor raised some interesting topics; in particular was the lively conversation between former-Taoiseach Garrett Fitzgerald and current-Minister of State for European Affairs Dick Roche on the issue of the Irish corporate tax rate.

The AGM was attended by Colm and Cliodhna Dooge; children of renowned engineer, politician and academic, Jim Dooge. As a former-Honourary President of European Movement Ireland, Professor Dooge has been commemorated by the organisation with the creation of the Jim Dooge European Research Medal, which was officially launched at this meeting.

The first winner of this prestigious award will be announced at next years AGM.

The meeting concluded small presentation to Garrett Fitzgerald by Executive Director Andrea Pappin in honour of the role he played in the creation of EM Ireland by acting as one of the seven signatories of the organisations original Articles of Association

After the meeting, in the spirit of Arthurs Day, Board members, EM Ireland members, staff and stages made their way to Buswells Hotel for end-of-evening drinks and chat.
16:16
Campaign Update: My Vision for Europe II
» ‎ European Movement Ireland
European Movement Ireland Executive Director Andrea Pappin was joined by Oscar-nominated Granny O'Grimm Director Nicky Phelan, Sean Kelly MEP, Proinsias De Rossa MEP, Head of the European Parliament Office in Ireland Francis Jacobs, former-Director of the European Commission Representation in Ireland Martin Territ and Alex Mulkeirns, Séan O'Connor and Denis Vavasour, students of Clonkeen College in Dublin and finalists in last year's competition, to launch My Vision for Europe 2010 at the Irish Film Institute on Friday 01 October.

To compete in this competition, participating teams of 15-17 year old students are invited to create and record a short video on one of three given subjects and load them on to www.myvisionforeurope.com. This year, students are challenged to create visions of the following:
- A new MEP candidate and his/her vision for Europe;
- The story of Captain Europe and his/her powers; or
- What the EU will be like in 2050.
Five teams are then selected, representing the four Republic of Irelandreland The selected teams take part in the finals in February 2011, during which they get the opportunity to see their vision for Europe on the big screen at the IFI in Dublin. constituencies and the Northern I constituency for the European Parliament Elections.

The overall winning team will be invited to bring their classmates (24 in total) to Strasbourg to participate in the European Parliament's Euroscola project.

My Vision for Europe 2010 is being run by a partnership of organisations, and European Movement Ireland is delighted to once again be involved in this competition.

According to Andrea Pappin; last year's competition was exciting for all of us involved. We were amazed by the levels of creativity out there and the originality of the ideas that we saw. With 23 teams already registered this year, it looks like the competition is going to be even fiercer!

Last year contributions can be viewed here while pictures of the launch are available on the EM Ireland Facebook page. Interested schools should contact the European Movement Ireland to request further information and an application pack.
October 14, 2010
13:10
Campaign Update: Launch of Green Book Volume 3
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

European Movement Ireland headed to Brussels this week for our second Brussels Connection event of 2010 and the launch of the Green Book Volume 3.

Building on the previous two editions; the Green Book Volume 3 provides even more practical advice and handy tips for Irish stagiaires in Brussels and contains a brand new chapter dedicated entirely to providing information about the various stage opportunities available in Brussels and the application processes involved, as well as a guiding Irish students how to maximize their chances of landing one.

Once again, Kitty OSheas pub provided the venue, the food and the drinks for over 100 Irish people from across the EU Institutions, Irish organisations and companies in Brussels; all of whom turned out to catch-up with old friends, make new acquaintances, chat, network, cheer on the boys in Green (who drew one-all with Slovakia, in case you were wondering) and, of course, get their hands on Volume 3 of the Green Book. We were delighted to have the Irish members of the EESC in attendance, along with Irish seat on the European Court of Auditors, Eoin OShea, staff of the Irish PermRep in Brussels and stagiaires from the Parliament, a host of Commission DGs and a variety of other firms and businesses.

After a short speech by Executive Director, Andrea Pappin, the event got well and truly underway and was still going strong until the final whistle of the match and last calls at the bar.

For those of you unable to make it on the night, and those who want to their own soft copy, the Green Book Volume 3 is now available to download off our website here. Pictures of the launch are also up on Facebook; if youd like to have a look, click here.

European Movement Ireland was delighted to see so many faces, old and new, on the night and we look forward to catching up with you all again in the New Year.
October 11, 2010
11:56
News: First Citizens' Initiative petition submitted to the European Commission
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

A petition for a Europe free from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has achieved the required one million signatories and will be handed to European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, campaigners have announced.

What is it about?

The petition is the first to be presented under the 'Citizens' Initiative', the principle enshrined in the EU's Lisbon Treaty since December 2009 which allows citizens to directly participate in the EU legislative process. Once an initiative has attracted one million signatures from citizens who are nationals of a significant number of EU member states, the Commission, as a college, is obliged to give serious consideration to the request.

This petition, spearheaded by Greenpeace and launched in March 2010, calls for a moratorium on all new GM crop production in Europe until a proper safety regime has been put in place. It follows a controversial decision made by the European Commission last March to give the green light for the first genetically-modified potato, Amflora, to be cultivated in the EU.

According to Greenpeace, one million signatures from across every country in the EU were collected by 28 September and "signatures continue to pour in from across Europe". Commission President Barroso was informed of the petition results on Wednesday (06 October) and the petition organisers hope to arrange a "personal handover of the petition and signatures in the coming weeks".

Now what?

Even though the EU regulation setting up the Citizens' Initiative is still passing through the EU's lawmaking machinery and is yet to be finalised, the petition calling for a GM freeze can be given full consideration, the Commission said.

According to a Commission spokesman, once the EU executive has received the official request, it will have to go through an "admissibility test". As the initiative is the first of its kind, it will be studied particularly carefully, the spokesperson added.

Once the admissibility test is passed and the request has been approved as an official Citizens' Initiative which the Commission believes will be the case the EU executive has four months to formulate its response.

European Movement Ireland says

Were happy to see this new democratic tool being used already even before the legislation is in place! Lets see more of these kinds of campaigns, which challenge the direction of the EU by us folk But lets see the legislation, institutions! We know you work slowly and carefully, but it would be great to have this in place by the time the year anniversary of the Lisbon Treaty came around on 1 December.

European Movement Ireland is tracking the development of the European Citizens Initiative tool as part of their advocacy work for 2010. For more information on this campaign, click here.

News story adapted from http://www.euractiv.com/en/cap/first-citizens-initiative-call-gm-crop-freeze-news-498524
September 23, 2010
15:48
Press Release: The Jim Dooge European Research Medal announced
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

European Movement Ireland last night announced the establishment of the Jim Dooge European Research medal. This medal, which will be awarded annually to a student dissertation tackling an EU-related subject, is in honour of their late honorary President and major contributor to the formation of the EU, Professor Jim Dooge.

Speaking about this medal, which was announced at their AGM last night, Executive Director Andrea Pappin said, Jim Dooge has had a profound effect on the formation of the European Union with his work in the 1980s. With his recent sad passing, the Board of European Movement Ireland want to commemorate our Honorary President and the incredible contribution he made to the development of the EU. We hope that through this medal, we can remember his work and his passion for Europe, with the hope of inspiring a new generation in Ireland.

The Jim Dooge European Research Medal will be awarded to a student or group of students who undertake a dissertation during their college studies on a European Union-related matter. Other key details are:

- Awarding of the medal will be judged by a panel of experts including representatives of the Dooge family. The announcement of the winner will be made every year at the AGM of European Movement Ireland, currently in September.
- Interested students will be provided with access to an extensive archive of primary research materials, dating back to the 1950s. European Movement will also provide assistance to students with gaining access to key individuals for their research, if required.
- There is an expectation that further prizes will accompany this medal; details regarding these are to be expected in the coming months.

All third-level institutions are set to be informed of this medal in the coming weeks and the details required to register a dissertation for consideration by the judging panel. If any student or academic institution is interested in learning more, they should contact European Movement Ireland at their offices.

About Professor Jim Dooge
James Clement Dooge, MRIA, FREng, (30 July 1922 20 August 2010) was an Irish politician, engineer, climatologist, hydrologist and academic.

During his life, Professor Dooge was Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, (being only the second Senator to be appointed to the cabinet), Acting President of Ireland, Chairman of the Seanad, Professor of Engineering in UCC and UCD, Secretary General of the International Council for Science, President of the Royal Irish Academy and Chairman of the Irish Film Board.

It was during the Irish Presidency of the EU in 1984 that as Chairman of a key Committee, he and his team produced the seminal report on EU institutional reform which led to the Single European Act and the Treaty of Maastricht.

Even during this work as an expert consultant to a variety of organisations including UNESCO, UNEP and the United National Food and Agriculture Organisation, he continued his connection to the EU through this consultancy work with DGXII (Research) at the European Commission.
September 14, 2010
10:43
Event: EU Forecast briefing, 14 September 2010
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Today saw our first EU forecast event taking place on a wet and windy morning in Dublin.

This new service, developed specifically for members, is aimed to give an inside track on what key EU policies and legislation is coming down the line. Covering areas such as financial, employment and environmental policy, these briefings are tailored to suit the interests of our corporate and individual members.

This morning saw Belgian Ambassador to Ireland, Mr Robert Devriese, give an excellent overview of the current Presidency, and what lies ahead for us up to the end of December and beyond.

Covering areas such as environment, the social agenda, justice & security and external relations, particular insight was given to the economic work that the EU is doing to tackle the global financial crisis.

Thank you to you all for braving the weather and coming along and we look forward to seeing you at the next event.

Photos are to follow but in the meantime, click below for the relevant materials from the event:

Ambassador Devriese's presentation

Briefing note: Europe 2020

Investing in Belgium: A short video (currently being uploaded)

To help us improve this new service, please do take part in our quick 7-question online survey.
September 06, 2010
16:25
Invite: EM International Conference on Combatting Poverty
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

We have the pleasure of inviting you to the international two day European Movement International conference on the topic of Combating poverty and social exclusion during the economic crisis and beyond: A multi-level governance approach, which will take place in Lisbon, 1516 October 2010.

This conference will have the aim of bringing together civil society actors, local and national European public authorities, discussing European solidarity and cohesion. In the light of the 2020 horizon and in the context of the European Year of Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, stakeholders shall debate on the post-crisis challenges and evaluate the need for a flexible from of governance, able to respond to change.

Click here for official invitation, draft agenda and registration form. Also available is a list of recommended hotels in Lisbon.

Please confirm your participation latest by 30 September 2010.

For more information, please contact

Jörg Janssen
European Movement International
Tel.: + 32-(0)2-508.30.85
Fax: + 32-(0)2-508.30.89
E-mail: communication@europeanmovement.eu
August 24, 2010
13:52
Grad Jobs: Represent Ireland at Youth Employment Conference in Belgium
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Belgium holds the Presidency of the European Union at the moment and they are holding an EU Youth Conference, which will bring together over 100 young people to discuss matters of Youth and Employment with each other and with policy makers / government representatives from the 27 EU Member States. The National Youth Council of Ireland will be nominating 3 young people from Ireland to attend this event. For more information www.youth-eutrio.be

When: 2 - 4 October 2010

Who: Young person / youth worker 18-35 yrs with an interest in the issue of youth employment / unemployment.

Cost: Free. All travel and accomodation costs are covered by the organisers.

How: Please contact international@nyci.ie for your application form. Deadline for application Tuesday 7^th Sep 2010, to be emailed to international@nyci.ie or posted to International Officer, NYCI, 3 Montague St, Dublin 2.

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact Jean-Marie on international@nyci.ie or Tel: 01 4255945

Part of European Movement Ireland's Grad Jobs campaign is to highlight all opportunities for Irish young people to get involved with the EU, and by doing so help shape it. Visit our campaigns page to learn more.
August 11, 2010
16:17
News: AGM details confirmed
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

European Movement Irelands AGM will take place on Thursday 23 September in European Union House, Molesworth Street, Dublin. The meeting starts at 6pm and will be followed by a reception in Buswells bar.

Please let us know if you will be free to attend by replying to info@europeanmovement.ie or calling on 01 662 5815.

The AGM is an exclusive members event. If you would like to become a member, please contact Billie Sparks at billie@europeanmovement.ie or on 01 662 5815. Further information on membership is also available here
July 27, 2010
10:42
News: We're looking for a Communications Officer...
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

European Movement Ireland is currently seeking someone to join our team here at 6 Merrion Square. Working to the Executive Director, the Communications Officer role is a real opportunity for someone who has a passion for communications and who would like to develop their media skills while working with a good level of responsibility.

Click here to download this job description (MS Word format)

Job Description: Communications Officer

Job Purpose: Responsible for implementing the organisations communications strategy in furtherance of the aims of the Strategic Plan.

Key Objectives:

Implement the communications strategy critical to the success of the Strategic Plan.

Support the Education & Advocacy Manager in communication of campaigns and programmes.

Support the Executive Director in the communications administration of membership.

Main Tasks:

Profile European Movement Ireland and its role with members, key stakeholders and media.

Manage and further develop our membership database.

Develop our profile and role with key media and stakeholders, using traditional and most notably new media techniques.

Working with the Education & Advocacy Manager, develop and implement communications activity to support the campaigns of European Movement Ireland.

Handle internal communications with our members such as regular eNewsletters, mail shots and phone so that members are increasingly involved in our work.

Help run a number of now well-established events for our members to a high standard and on budget.

Manage the brand and style of European Movement Ireland, advising on the publication of materials, including the design, print and budget.

Handle the maintenance of our website.

Keep up to-date with current issues and public opinions.

Act in accordance with the objectives and ethos of the organisation

Undertake other duties as may be reasonably required from time to time.

Experience and Knowledge:

Education to honours degree level at a third-level institution

Experience in a broad communications role, including communication techniques

Experience of developing and implementing PR campaigns

Experience in project management with a track record of delivering on objectives

Experience of CMS and other technical skills useful

Some experience of people management useful

Knowledge of the EU and how it works useful

Skills and Special Aptitudes:

Ability to network effectively

Demonstrable written and verbal communication and presentation skills

Attention to detail and strong organisational skills

Ability to work calmly under pressure and in a collegial fashion within a small dynamic team

Ability to manage a complex workload

Excellent interpersonal skills

Ability to work to tight deadlines

Standard office ICT skills

Location: European Movement Ireland, 6 Merrion Square, Dublin 2

Reporting to: Executive Director

Relationships: This person will be work closely with Executive Director and Education & Advocacy Manager, dependent on the project. They may need to supervise the work of stagiaires from time to time, with this management function fully supported in the role by members of the Management team.

Terms: This is a 2-year appointment with a 6 month probationary period. The salary scale for this position starts at 23,000.

To apply: A letter of application together with a full CV and the names of two referees should be sent to Executive Director, Andrea Pappin at andrea@europeanmovement.ie

Closing date: The deadline for this position is now closed.
July 13, 2010
15:13
Press Release: Government runs risk of looking hypocritical if Lisbon laws not introduced
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

European Movement Ireland warns government to implement changes or risk national reputationDublin, 13 July 2010 - The Government could be at risk of looking dangerously hypocritical if they dont make good on the European promises they made last year and implement recommendations on how to improve how we deal with Europe at home, the Executive Director of European Movement Ireland has stated.

These comments were made after the Report on the Review of the Role of the Oireachtas in European Affairs was published today. This Report is the outcome of the work of an Oireachtas Sub-Committee which has looked at what needs to be introduced to the Irish Parliamentary system in light of the Lisbon Treaty and its new powers.

Commenting on the report, Executive Director Andrea Pappin stated, Lets have the same Government urgency for implementing the Lisbon Treaty as we had when they were campaiging for it.

Its no surprise that our national parliament needs to up its game in how it deals with Europe. Now that there is a greater role for Leinster House to play in European decision-making, all parties have now agreed what are the changes to our national system that need to be made. We dont need another sub-committee report, task force or observation group, what we need is law to implement these measures. Lets get the law drafted and in place, so that Europe is discussed part and parcel with national law making, rather than be an issue that is reserved for six weeks before a referendum vote.

While there are obviously reforms needed at an EU level, we believe that there is a lot of work that can be done to improve our own house when it comes to talking about Europe. The government needs to put their money where their mouth is and ensure that the resources that are needed to adopt the recommendations in this comprehensive report are put in place. And if they dont, then all the speeches made during the Lisbon Treaty campaign will be just hot air damaging our European credentials, at home and at the European table.

There are 28 recommendations made in the report. Of note are:

§      the introduction of a scrutiny reserve system that a Minister could not formally agree to EU legislation until the national parliament has had a chance to scrutinise it, excepting urgent circumstances.

§      Government Ministers should be obliged to attend their relevant sectoral committee before they head to Council meetings to discuss the upcoming meeting agenda and what they are likely to say

§      a questions and answer session should take place in the Dáil chamber prior to the Taoiseach traveling to the European Council to ensure greater involvement from the national parliament and greater engagement from the media and the public.

§      That the current two European Committees should be merged into one Committee with a strong co-ordinating role

§      Legislation should be put in place so that EU documents can be registered in Leinster House electronically rather than the current archaic process of requiring everything in paper format

- ENDS -

Editors Note

About the Report of the Joint Sub-Committee on the Review of the Role of the Oireachtas in European Affairs

The report is the outcome of a Sub-Committee, chaired by Fine Gaels Lucinda Creighton TD, which over the last number of months has reviewed how the Oireachtas currently deals with EU matters. This report presents a series of recommendations on how to improve the current operations. There are 28 recommendations overall in this report which received cross-party support.

The full report is available at [www.oireachtas.ie]

About European Movement Ireland

European Movement Ireland is a not-for-profit organisation working to make the connection between Irish people and the EU, campaigning for every Irish person to get involved with the European Union and by doing so, help shape it.

Our Executive Director is available for further comment if interested, please contact Claire Tighe, Communications Officer at 01-6625815 or email claire@europeanmovement.ie.
July 06, 2010
16:06
Article: 'The European Project' in Public Affairs Ireland Journal
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

There is a need for a better national conversation about our European agenda without the mayhem or the emotion of a referendum debate.'

Andrea Pappin, Executive Director, 'The European Project', in Public Affairs Ireland Journal (July 2010). Click here to read the article in full.
June 18, 2010
16:07
InfoNugget 31: Is our national parliament stepping up to the plate?
» ‎ European Movement Ireland
Yesterday, a report was produced that is the next step in the Lisbon Treaty. Remember that?

The report - Report of the Joint Sub-Committee on the Review of the Role of the Oireachtas in European Affairs - is surprisingly readable given its quite unreadable title. And what is it about, we hear you say? Basically, it outlines all that needs to be introduced to the Irish Parliamentary system in light of the Lisbon Treaty and the new powers given to national parliaments.

There are 28 recommendations made in the report. Of note are:
- Government Ministers should be legally obliged to attend the relevant parliament committee before they head to Council meetings to discuss the upcoming meeting agenda and what they are likely to say. At the moment, its really only the Minister for Foreign Affairs that does this on any regular basis.
- The introduction of a scrutiny reserve system. This means that a Minister could not formally agree to a piece of EU legislation until the national parliament has had a chance to scrutinise that draft law, except in urgent circumstances.
- A questions and answer session should take place in the Dáil chamber prior to the Taoiseach traveling to the European Council to ensure greater involvement from the national parliament and greater engagement from the media and the public. Currently this happens after the fact the horse-has-bolted school of communications.
- It is proposed that the current two European Committees in the Oireachtas should be merged into one Committee with a strong co-ordinating role in the next Dáil. A good move and counter to what these kinds of reports usually state which is the establishment of something new. Nice and frugal
- Legislation should be put in place so that EU documents can be registered in Leinster House electronically rather than the current archaic process of requiring everything in paper format. (As an aside, given the amount of documents we all deal with in a day, it is crazy to think that our parliament cannot deal with this yet!)
- It is also recommended that the Seanad play an important role in the area of monitoring the transposition of EU Directives into Irish law and that the various sectoral committees be obliged to report to the Seanad on the progress of their EU related work.
Our verdict

Its no surprise that our national parliament needs to up its game in how it deals with Europe and it is encouraging that all parties have signed up to these necessary changes to our national system. And after reading the report, overall the recommendations are solid (bar that very fuzzy mention of the Seanad mentioned above which to us seems a bit out of place!)

So what next?

Well, we dont need another sub-committee report, task force or observation group. What we need is law to implement these measures. Lets get the law drafted and in place, so that Europe is discussed part and parcel with national law making, rather than be an issue that is reserved for six weeks before a referendum vote. The Government could be at risk of looking dangerously hypocritical if they dont make good on the European promises they made last year during the Lisbon Treaty referendum and implement these recommendations in order to improve how we deal with Europe at home.

So lets have the same Government urgency for implementing the Lisbon Treaty as we had when they were campaigning for it. People may say there are more important matters to be dealt with but given the work going on at EU level in terms of banking regulations, review of budgets and handling the Eurozone crisis, we feel that this is exactly the right time to strengthen our parliaments processes in dealing with EU matters.

The full report is available at: http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=/documents/Committees30thDail/J-EuropeanAffairs/SubCtteeRoleofOireachtas/homepage.htm

European Movement Ireland

A: 6 Merrion Square, Dublin 2

T: (353) 1 6625815

W: www.europeanmovement.ie

Fb: facebook.com/emireland

Sk: europeanmovementireland

European Movement Ireland is a not-for-profit organisation working to make the connection between Irish people and the EU, campaigning for every Irish person to get involved with the European Union and by doing so, help shape it.

Permalink for 'InfoNugget 30: Europe 2020'

16:02

InfoNugget 30: Europe 2020

» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Lets be honest, a lot has changed in the EU in the last few years. The global recession has caused more than a few people to change their plans and be a bit smarter with their money. The EU is no exception and has laid out an action plan for competitiveness called Europe 2020. This new plan sets the EUs targets for the next ten years and lays out new strategies of how to meet them. Whether youve heard of it or not, its likely to play a major role in Europe for the next decade.

Background

The last major EU plan was the Lisbon Strategy which ran from 2000-2010. The general goal of the Strategy was to make Europe the worlds most dynamic knowledge-based economy by 2010. The Strategy came under a lot of criticism for not meeting many of its goals, one of the best quotes about the Lisbon Agenda came from Mr Wim Kok who said that, Lisbon is about everything and thus about nothing.

The leaders of the EU countries met yesterday and adopted Europe 2020, setting out a new strategy for jobs and growth in the EU over the next ten years. This time round there will be an emphasis on implementation and the leaders of the EU countries, when they meet at European Council, have undertaken to guide and monitor the progress EU countries are making. But how realistic are these new targets for Ireland? Well, lets see

Target	Interesting to note that	And in Ireland.
Employment. Raise the employment rate of women and men aged 20-64 to 75%, this is to include greater participation of youth, older workers and low skilled workers and the better integration of legal migrants.	Current EU employment rate is 65%, so this target aims to increase employment in the EU by 10% within 10 years.	As of March 2010, employment rate of those 15-64 was 60%; down from 69% in 2007. Irelands current unemployment rate is 13.2%. We all know that the issue of unemployment is not as simple as a number or a target. There are worrying trends in Ireland and across the EU showing high youth unemployment figures. At is stands in Ireland the unemployment rate for under 25s is 28.6%. These are the kind of figures that we need to be tackling.
Research & Development (R&D). Improve the conditions for research and development and bring combined public and private investment levels in R&D to 3% of GDP.	This target is one that our own Maire Geoghegan-Quinn was adamant to include in the Europe 2020 and she was successful.	This EU target is the same as our own national target, but it does seem like we have a lot of work to do. Irelands spend in 2008 was 1.43% of GDP, up from 1.25% in 2006. The EU (27) average spend was 1.77% of GDP and OECD average spend was 2.29% of GDP.
Environment. We recommitted ourselves to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% against 1990 levels, increasing the share of renewables in energy consumption to 20%, and improving energy efficiency by 20%.	If other developed countries also commit themselves to comparable emission reductions, and if developing countries commit themselves to contribute according to their capabilities, the EU is committed to move to a 30% reduction of emissions compared to 1990 levels.	The energy targets included in Europe 2020 are already binding on member states. Ireland has been set a target of 16% of all energy to be from renewable sources by 2020, up from 3% in 2005. Ireland is also committed to achieving a 20% reduction in energy demand, as compared to average energy use over the period 2001-2005, through energy efficiency measures.
Education. Targets will be set by each country for themselves, as education is an area of national competence. Overall the target is to improve education levels, in particular by aiming to reduce school drop out rates to less than 10% and by increasing the share of 30-34 year olds who have completed a primary degree or equivalent to at least 40%.	This is an area that EU countries control themselves, as it is an area of national competence.	We already do well in the area of education, compared to others. Our recent statistics show: Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures showed 44% of Irish 25-34 year olds have 3rd level education which puts us second only to Cyprus. The same CSO stats also showed 11% of Irish students left school early compared to the EU 27 average of 15%.
Reduce poverty. Promote Social inclusion, in particular through the reduction of poverty, by aiming to lift at least 20 million people out of risk of poverty and exclusion.	The European Council has agreed the number of persons who are at risk of poverty and exclusion will be determined against three indicators at-risk-of poverty, material deprivation and jobless household. EU countries will be free to set their own national targets on the basis of their own appropriate national indicators, taking into account national circumstance and priorities. Anti-poverty targets were widely contested, especially by Eastern European countries, which feared not being able to match the goals which seemed tailored for Western EU countries.	A Eurostat comparison of EU member states in 2008 found 16% of Irish people were at risk of poverty. The EU (27) average stood at 17%.

And another thing

Upon the request of our very own Brian Cowen (along with Romania and Hungary), the strategy now mentions the important contribution that agriculture and the food industry can and does make to our progress, considering the growth and potential for rural areas. In the documents circulated in advance, agriculture and the food industry were conspicuous by their absence. Now, all common policies including the Common Agricultural Policy are linked to the Europe 2020 Strategy.

So whats next?

EU countries must now take the steps to implement these policy priorities at a national level. Bottlenecks to growth need to be identified and national governments have to show how they plan on tackling them in a National Reform Programme. Interestingly, the progress being made towards these targets will now be regularly reviewed by the leaders of the EU countries.

We are looking forward to seeing the targets set by our own government. Its hard not to take these targets with a pinch of salt given the current economic climate that we and so many other European countries find themselves in. It does seem though that these targets are being taken more seriously than those in the Lisbon Agenda which had so many targets hanging off it, it was like baubles on a Christmas tree. Limiting the targets to five is a good call and the recent agreement that national governments will show budgetary rough work to the Commission before the national reveal demonstrates that there is a willingness among EU countries to cooperate and an acknowledgement that by working together we can get our of this mess sooner.

Agreement has been reached, now it is time for delivery. And, so you know we at European Movement are looking into a way we can keep an eye on these targets and report back to you on Irelands delivery. Keep you posted.

May 13, 2010
10:00
News: My Vision for Europe Roadshow underway
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

Travelling from Clare to Limerick to Cork, the EU workshop is on its way to Monaghan today.

Challenging students to make their own piece of EU legislation in the area of law, the workshops give students a taste of how decisions are made in Brussels.

Full details from the My Vision for Europe website:

www.myvisionforeurope.com

A feature on the Cork workshop is available on this blog:

www.stephenspillane.com/blog

For further details, contact Siobhan on 01 662 5815 or siobhan@europeanmovement.ie
May 05, 2010
15:58
Press Release: 999,997 more and were laughing
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

European Movement Ireland poll Irish people on Citizens Initiative

European Movement Ireland is taking to the streets this Friday 7 May to kick off Europe Day celebrations 2010. Canvassing in Cork, Galway, Kilkenny and Dublin, European Movement Ireland will be asking people for their views on the Citizens Initiative in each of the European Parliament constituencies. The Citizens Initiative is a new democratic tool set to come into effect under the Lisbon Treaty. Enabling one million European voters to ask the EU to take action in an area where it has the power to act, it is a new procedure that allows us to make petitions to the European Union, asking it to take action in areas where it has power.

Currently, only a few EU countries have this official lobbying system to petition their government. In Ireland, it will be a new venture for Irish citizens. Fridays simple four-question poll will determine whether people have even heard of the Citizens Initiative, whether or not they would ever consider using it, and how they would like the government to communicate more information about it. For example, would the Irish Government be willing to venture into the area of social media?

Andrea Pappin, Executive Director of European Movement Ireland commented, The Citizens Initiative is going to be a new democratic instrument for us to use and we have a responsibility to decide how best we should use it, rather than letting other people decide this for us. Decisions are made by those who turn up, after all.

The poll can be accessed online also at www.europeanmovement.ie

The nationwide canvass will be also be highlighting that Sunday 9 May is Europe Day, the day when Robert Schuman, the French foreign minister, made the historical declaration to create a community of European countries, which then founded the European Union as it is now.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

Location for the canvass

Our canvassers will be decked out in colourful T-shirts and handing out free lollies and pens while doing the poll. In Cork, we will be on Patricks St between 12.30 and 2pm near Brown Thomas. For more information contact: Andrea Pappin Executive Director on 087 7987769 or andrea@europeanmovement.ie,or Billie Sparks Education and Advocacy Manager on 086 086 8892047 or 01 662 5815 or via email at billie@europeanmovement.ie

About the Citizens Initiative

The Citizens Initiative is a new democratic tool set to come into effect under the Lisbon Treaty. Enabling one million European voters to ask the EU to take action in an area where it has the power to act, it is a new procedure that allows us to make petitions to the European Union, asking it to take action in areas where it has power.
April 20, 2010
22:00
News: Green Book Volume 2 launches in Brussels
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

EM Ireland has launched the second volume of 'The Green Book: A very handy book if you happen to be an Irish stagiaire living in Brussels'.



The launch took place in Kitty O'Shea's Bar, 42 Boulevard Charlemagne, Brussels on Tuesday 27 April.

The Green Book is a collaborative effort between those currently finding their feet in Brussels and the team here at 6 Merrion Square. Updated twice a year, it is quickly becoming a Bible for new Irish stagiaires in Brussels.

Andrea Pappin, Executive Director EM Ireland with Cian Mansfield, Editor of The Green Book Volume 1 at the Brussels launch in November 2009

This thirty-six page booklet, delivers highly practical and useful information for those fresh off the plane so that they can settle into Brussels life as quickly as possible. From tips on opening a bank account and finding accommodation, to recommendations on restaurants and hotspots for watching international football, all the basics are covered so that the first few weeks can be made a little less daunting.

Alongside this, is information on what it is like to work in the EU institutions, complete with accounts from the different departments and where the best canteens to eat lunch are. While not claiming to be a thoroughly comprehensive guide, the book provides a witty overview of the stagiaire experience, most importantly providing a well-rounded picture of life in Brussels, both in and out of the EU system.

You can download an online copy of The Green Book Volume 2 from our website by clicking here



                  Stagiaires at the launch of The Green Book Volume 1
13:41
News: Europe Day 9 May
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

As part of our Europe Day celebrations this year, EM Ireland will be canvassing in hubs around the country handing out lollipops, pens and balloons. We will also be distributing Citizens' Initiative postcards, answering people's questions, and generally having a chat about Europe.

The canvass will be a nationwide event, taking place on Friday 7 May in Cork, Galway, Kilkenny and Dublin, one in each of the European Parliament constituencies.

To complete our Citizens' Initiative online, please go to: www.surveymonkey.com/s/RSKR2VT

If anyone would like to join in on the canvassing , we would love to see you there. Drop us a line on 01 662 5815 or send Billie an email at billie@europeanmovement.ie for more details.
October 16, 2009
9:35
Q. Ive just turned 18, how do I register to vote?
» ‎ European Movement Ireland

In order to get on the register to vote next year, you will have to make sure that you make it on to the draft register by 25 November. You need to get in contact with your local County council and send them in a completed application form; here is a link to the application form http://www.dlrcoco.ie/voters/RFAEnglish.pdf. You will then be able to vote when the register comes into force on 15 February next year.

As there is a chance of a general election soon you might want to get on the register sooner. You can do this by filling in a form to be added to the supplement to the register. Here is a link to that form: http://url.ie/2nd7 .These must be submitted up to 15 days before polling day, and then you will be able to vote in that election.

← European Movement UK OSCE press releases and media advisories →

Constituency	County	School	Link to video
Dublin	Dublin	Loreto Abbey Dalkey	[tinyurl.ie]
East	Kildare	Colaiste Chiarain	[tinyurl.ie]
North West	Sligo	Mercy College	[tinyurl.ie]
Northern Ireland	Antrim	Methodist College Belfast	http://tinyurl.ie/3gy
South	Tipperary	Presentation Secondary School Naomh Colmcille	[tinyurl.ie]

Constituency	County	School	Link to video
Dublin	Dublin	Loreto Abbey Dalkey	[tinyurl.ie]
East	Kildare	Colaiste Chiarain	[tinyurl.ie]
North West	Sligo	Mercy College	[tinyurl.ie]
Northern Ireland	Antrim	Methodist College Belfast	http://tinyurl.ie/3gy
South	Tipperary	Presentation Secondary School Naomh Colmcille	[tinyurl.ie]