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Politics EU and International

• 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 19, 2012
• 16:01

  Not a bigger Switzerland

   » ‎ European Movement UK

  Daniel Hannan’s argument that Britain should leave the European Union and seek to emulate Switzerland in its relations with the EU (read it here) relies on two assumptions, neither of which I think is true. The first assumption is about the EU, the second is about Britain.

  The EU assumption is that it would be willing to see Britain emulate the position of Switzerland. The Swiss advantage, as Daniel Hannan sees it, is that it has access to the European single market, the largest and richest consumer market in the world, without having to comply with all the regulations that apply there. The British economy is being harmed by the excessive scope of EU regulation, say the eurosceptics, and the Swiss option is a way to reduce it.

  But this strategy relies on the EU agreeing, and there are good reasons to doubt that it will.

  Switzerland has a much smaller economy than Britain, and is highly integrated with the EU. As much as 70 per cent of its foreign trade is with the European Union – when you look at a map, you can see why. (What happens to the other 30 per cent – is there a tunnel?)

  It also follows much of the EU approach to regulation of its own volition: it does not seek to evade EU regulations in order to obtain a competitive advantage over the EU. It is not a low wage economy undercutting EU manufacturers. But this is what Daniel Hannan would have Britain do. If this was the British intention, why should the rest of the EU facilitate it? An economic deal of some sort would be struck, certainly, as there would be a strong mutual interest in doing so, but the British cannot assume that the EU would offer them the same deal that is offered to the Swiss.

  Could we force the EU to offer better terms? Britain currently imports more from the rest of the EU than it exports to it: Daniel Hannan supposes that this economic weakness could turn into a political strength. Simply phrasing the position like this shows how hollow it is as a hope. What gives an economic negotiating position strength is not the balance of trade – it is out-dated mercantilist economic thinking to treat exports as “good” and imports as “bad” – but how important that trade is to the economy. Trade between Britain and the EU represents half of Britain’s trade and 30 per cent of its GDP, whereas that same trade represents one tenth of the EU’s trade and only 3 per cent of its GDP. Making that trade relationship weaker would harm the UK much more than it would the EU: Britain is in no position to dictate terms.

  But not only does Daniel Hannan make a false assumption about the EU – that it would offer the UK the same terms as it offers Switzerland, when it probably wouldn’t – he also makes a false assumption that the UK would welcome those terms. Look at them closely, and see how unacceptable they would be.

  Swiss companies have access to the European single market, as long as they comply with its rules. But who makes the rules? The European Commission – representing EU members only – makes the proposals, which are then approved by the Council of Ministers – representing EU member states only – and the European Parliament, elected by citizens of the EU only. Switzerland and the Swiss people have no say in the matter. Their only involvement is to be bound by the rules.

  Now maybe this is acceptable to Switzerland because it has a small population – less than 2 per cent of that of the EU – and expects little influence on the world around us. It has grown used to bobbing up and down on the surface of world affairs: it only joined the United Nations as recently as 2002, for example, and its banks collaborated with the Nazis during world war two while the rest of the world was fighting them.

  Britain, on the other hand, is one of the largest member states in the European Union and, when it comes to the regulation of the single market, is one of the most influential. While the Swiss might think that their ability to shape the rules would be small, this is not at all the case for the British, for whom influence over rules changes is paramount.

  And those rules will continue to change. Developments in technology and in society will affect the balance to be struck between the role of the market and the role of the state, and when it comes to the role of the state, the balance between the role of the member states and the role of the European Union as a whole. The Swiss might be content to be spectators in this process, standing outside with their noses pressed against the glass, but that isn’t necessarily in the British interest.

  Not only does Daniel Hannan misjudge the European Union, he also misjudges Britain. The British can and expect to have influence in the world in a manner that the Swiss deliberately avoid.

  No matter how lovely the lakes and how splendid the mountains, Switzerland is not a model for Britain in its relationship with the European Union. Britain is a proud and, when it chooses to be, influential member of the EU, and should stay that way.

• 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.

• December 12, 2011
• 9:18

  The European summit outcome: Here’s what you could have had

   » ‎ European Movement UK

  Amid all the argument and misinformation flying round about the agreement and disagreement at the European summit, here is a summary of what was actually at stake.

  The member states of the eurozone wanted a new treaty to establish closer integration among them, particular regarding fiscal matters, as part of a programme to save the euro.  There are short term measures also needed, but the treaty is intended to play a medium-term role of putting the euro on a new institutional footing.

  Assuming that there was no possibility of the UK agreeing to be subject to the provisions of this new treaty, there were two options on the table: (1) a treaty agreed by all 27 but applying to fewer than that number (i.e. not the UK and possibly not others); or (2) a treaty agreed only by those countries that will be subject to it.

  From the perspective of the eurozone countries, the advantages of option (1) were:

  (a) being able to use the existing EU institutions rather than having to create new ones – the risk is that the unwieldy pillar structure introduced in the Maastricht treaty and finally abolished by Lisbon will have to be brought back; do they want to have a second and separate set of elections for a second and separate Eurozone Parliament?

  (b) the involvement, even a small way, of the UK – yes, they don’t always hate us; different countries in different ways for different reasons welcome British influence on the EU

  The disadvantage of option (1) is that the UK would be obliged to ratify the treaty in order for it to come into force, even though it would not apply in the UK.  The advantage of option (2), therefore, is that British ratification would not be needed, which, given the fervent and ridiculous state of British politics, might well be a blessing.

  The reason why option (2) has been chosen despite the disadvantages that it brings with it is that David Cameron wanted it that way.  The arguments about financial services regulation are irrelevant: they relate to the existing Lisbon treaty which applies to all 27 and will continue to apply to all 27, regardless of what might have been agreed about the legal form of the successor treaty.  By the way, if there was a serious and credible case for any of the changes proposed, it could have been raised by the British representative in the coming negotiations of the new treaty.  Given that Britain has decided not to send a representative to those negotiations, it has also decided not to seek those changes that it claimed, on Thursday evening, were necessary to protect the City of London.

  The overall result of the British insistence that the treaty is among 26 and not 27 is not that Britain is unaffected by the new treaty – neither option would have implicated the UK – but that Britain has no say in the new treaty.  Fifty years of British foreign policy has aimed for a role in the discussions about the future of Europe, learning the lessons from the 1950s when we were invited but refused to take part and quickly regretted our refusal.  Those fifty years now appear to be over.

  ¤ ¤ ¤

  A question is raised as to whether Britain will really be excluded from anything.  Will the new treaty actually be agreed?  This is of course the question with which the British comforted themselves in the 1950s – the Treaty of Rome will never amount to anything, they said – and there is an element of denial present in those people asking that question today.

  But only an element; there is also some truth.  The treaty might also fail because agreement cannot be reached among the 26, noting that the failure of the treaty would damage the European economy severely and thus damage the British economy as well.  This is not an outcome to be welcomed.  And, moreover, it can be said that the novel legal circumstances of creating a new treaty of 26 alongside the existing treaty of 27 actually makes failure more likely.  The familiar procedure of amending the treaty of 27 would be much easier: working out how the new 26-strong institutions are going to mesh with the existing 27-strong set is going to be fraught with difficulty.

  If the British government was sincere in its call for the countries of the eurozone to agree some form of fiscal union and sort out their problems, a strategy that makes it noticeably harder for those eurozone countries to agree that union and fix those problems is a mighty strange way of showing it.

• November 29, 2011
• 12:08

  Can the press tell the truth about Europe?

   » ‎ European Movement UK

  At the risk of being accused of jumping on the Leveson enquiry bandwagon (to which I would have to plead guilty), the European Movement has had its own skirmish with press regulation, with rather unsatisfactory results.

  The cause of the complaint was an article about Europol on page 1 of the Daily Express on 26 March 2010, bearing the headline “New EU Gestapo spies on Britons”.  The article proceeded to denounce Europol as having “frightening powers to pry into our lives”, with an editorial in the middle of the paper repeating the allegations.  We referred this to the Press Complaints Commission.

  While it is morally despicable to compare the European Union with Nazi Germany (don’t anti-Semitism and genocide count for anything any more?), our complaint was based on Clause 1 of the Code of Practice, Accuracy, which reads:

  (i) “The Press must take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information, including pictures.”

  and

  (iii) “The Press, whilst free to be partisan, must distinguish clearly between comment, conjecture and fact.”

  The complaint explained that Europol and the Gestapo were very different organisations, in that the establishment and the actions of Europol are restricted by law, accountable in parliament, and subject to the considerations of human rights, while the Gestapo was not.  The use of the word “Gestapo” invokes the spectre of an organisation that acted, and was authorised to act, outside the law, and that used brutality and terror as a means of pursuing totalitarian goals.

  We pointed out that, had a simple shorthand for the concept of an intelligence service been required, alternative comparisons such as MI5 or Special Branch could have been used.  However, the choice was made to use the comparison of an organisation with a notorious and distinctive place in European history.

  The complaint was about the front page story and not the editorial.  Sub-clause (iii) permits a partisan press, as long as comment is distinguished from fact.  In an editorial, this is clearly the case: in a front page story, it is not.

  The complaint was rejected.  The Press Complaints Commission was of the view that the front page story was clearly comment and not fact, comment which a newspaper is permitted to make.  I asked specifically what it was about the story that would “distinguish clearly between comment, conjecture and fact” and received the following, priceless answer:

  “This part of the Code does not mean there has to be an explicit reference in the article or headline to the fact that something is a comment rather than a fact (although sometimes this does occur).  In this case, the nature of the term itself was sufficiently suggestive of the fact that it must [author’s emphasis] be a comment:”

  This means that, despite what the Code says, a newspaper need not in fact “distinguish clearly between comment, conjecture and fact”: if its claims are outrageous enough, the PCC will assume that everyone knows not to believe them.  Judging by the way in which Fourth Reich terminology is being thrown around at the moment (here, for example), I don’t think that assumption is correct.

  The truth is that Europol is a police organisation with Germans in it, and as far as the PCC is concerned – it is a self-regulatory body for the press, so newspapers are judged by the standards of other newspapers – that is enough.  Think of the case of the case of Max Mosley and the News of the World, when the latter’s allegation that the former had engaged in Nazi role play was comprehensively dismissed.  One of the reasons advanced by the newspaper to think what was enacted was a Nazi scene was that Mr Mosley spoke in German, but the judge, Mr Justice Eady, noted in his judgment that:

  “Although Mr Thurlbeck thought the use of German highly significant as one of the Nazi indicia, it is noteworthy that neither he nor anyone else thought it appropriate to obtain a translation before evaluating the material for publication.”

  In the words of the judge,

  it rather suggests that “German” may have simply been glossed into “Nazi”.

  So it is not only the Daily Express.  Large parts of Fleet Street are still mentally fighting the last war, with combat taking place in acres of newsprint every day.  The Leveson enquiry reveals that there have been some serious ethical failures among some of the people who run our media, and until those failures are addressed, the national discussion of important and controversial issues will continue to be polluted.

  It is ironic, is it not, that those people who are most fervently demanding a referendum on British membership of the EU are at the same time doing their best to make it impossible for a fair one to be held.

• November 21, 2011
• 12:28

  Anatomy of a euromyth

   » ‎ European Movement UK

  A Daily Express headline claimed last week that “EU says water is not healthy” on the front page in letters 42 mm high.  This is a perfect example of a euromyth.  Perfect, because it is not true; perfect, because it damns the European Union; and perfect, because everything we need to know to debunk it is available on the public record.

  The origin of the story is the rejection by the European Commission of a proposal that the register of approved disease risk claims for food and drink should include the claim that “Regular consumption of significant amounts of water can reduce the risk of development of dehydration and of concomitant decrease of performance.”  At first sight, that decision is barmy and deserves the worst that headlines can throw at it.  But a look at the facts reveals a rather different story.

  The register of approved disease risk claims was created by a European regulation on nutrition and health claims made on foods (1924/2006), which requires prior approval before food and drink manufacturers can make such claims about their products.  No longer will the claim that eating X is good for you be permitted on the say-so of scientists employed by the manufacturers of X.  In future, all such claims have to be approved by an independent panel of scientists convened by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and then confirmed by the European Commission.  This system is intended to protect consumers from false or misleading claims, and will also ensure a level playing field for companies in the X industry.  It may be bureaucracy, but isn’t that what bureaucracy is for?

  In the case of the dehydration claim, the proposal was rejected by the EFSA scientific panel not because dehydration cannot be prevented by drinking water but because it is not a disease risk claim.  A disease risk claim “states, suggests or implies that the consumption of a food category, a food or one of its constituents significantly reduces a risk factor in the development of a human disease” (article 2(6)); the proposal sent to EFSA asserted not that dehydration was a risk factor but that it was the disease itself.

  There is in fact a separate register of “Health claims describing or referring to the role of a nutrient or other substance in growth, development and the functions of the body” (article 13(1)), which is where a claim about water and dehydration belongs.  The application to EFSA was rejected not because it was unfounded scientifically but because it was submitted under the wrong regulatory heading.

  So, this Commission decision is not at all a “scarcely believable ruling”, not at all “new madness from Brussels”, not at all “at odds with both science and common sense”.  It is following correctly the rules that have been laid down to prevent consumers from being misled.  What if the Commission were to bend the rules, or not follow the correct procedures in the law?  What would the newspapers say then?

  But we can go further.  This euromyth has not arisen from a misunderstanding.   The facts, when inconvenient, are simply ignored.

  And the fact is that the EFSA panel has approved other claims about the beneficial effects of drinking water.  Two health claims regarding the “maintenance of normal physical and cognitive functions” and the “maintenance of normal thermoregulation” have been approved, with an EFSA scientific opinion reading:

  “The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has been established between the dietary intake of water and maintenance of normal physical and cognitive functions.”

  and

  “The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has been established between the dietary intake of water and maintenance of normal thermoregulation.”

  In each case, “The Panel considers that, in order to obtain the claimed effect, at least 2.0 L of water should be consumed per day.”

  The support for these health claims by EFSA directly refutes the headline that “EU says water is not healthy”.  The Daily Express knew about these other claims before going to print, but printed the inaccurate headline anyway.  That is where euromyths come from.

• November 11, 2011
• 16:33

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

   » ‎ European Movement Ireland

  EM Ireland Christmas Event   Address by Minister of State for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton TD, to European Movement Ireland Members Date Monday 12 December 2011, 6.30pm Event European Movement Ireland are delighted to inform our members that Minister of State for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton TD, will be addressing our Advisory Council and Members at a special event in December. Opened by EM Ireland Chair Maurice Pratt, this evening address will provide members with an opportunity to gain an overview of the current situation in the Eurozone and to discuss on-going developments in Irish – EU relations in light of Ireland's assumption of the Presidency of the European Council in 2013. Further details on this event, including the venue, will follow in the coming weeks. In the meantime, please do keep the date free in your diary. We look forward to seeing you there. Please RSVP to confirm your attendance at this event: T: +353 1 662 5815    E: events@europeanmovement.ie

• 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
• 11:17

  Green Book Volume V now available

   » ‎ European Movement Ireland

  Launched by Minister for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton TD, in Brussels on Monday 17 October, the fifth volume of the Green Book is now available for all those Irish people looking to intern and work in Europe. Containing a guide to getting a stage in Europe, surviving in Brussels and finding a job after your internship, Green Book V is a bible for any student or graduate who has ever considered an internship in Europe.  Please send an email to info@europeanmovement.ie for more information on getting a copy of the Green Book.

• 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

  PLEASE CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
  
  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
• 14:59

  British public opinion on Europe

   » ‎ European Movement UK

  What is the state of British public opinion on Europe?  A recent survey by YouGov for Vote UK out of the EU gave us the headline that a majority of people would vote in a referendum against membership of the EU, but looking behind the headline provides a rather more interesting picture.

  Positive about membership?

  The question “do you think EU membership has been positive or negative for the United Kingdom?” produced 50 per cent negative as opposed to 29 per cent positive (net -21).  This overall negative sentiment is widely but not universally shared.

  Political party: Conservative voters are more Eurosceptic (-29) than Labour (-2), with Lib Dem voters actually +21 in favour.

  Gender: men were less negative than women: -13 as opposed to -28.  Interestingly, throughout the survey, women were twice as likely as men to say “don’t know” (16 per cent, on average, compared with 9 per cent), for reasons I will not speculate on but which everyone reading this will recognise.

  Age: voters over the age of 40 are negative about the EU (-36), while those under that age are actually in favour (+6).  Is this because younger people have had different experiences and education than the previous generation, or it is simply because they have not become Eurosceptic yet?

  Social grade: negative feelings are less prevalent among ABC1s (-10) than among C2DE voters (-26).

  Geography: every region of the country is negative, but London (-6) is less negative than elsewhere.  Recall that six of the 10 districts that voted Yes in the referendum on electoral reform were also in the capital: London is different.

  Economically prosperous

  A separate question asked whether Britain is economically stronger in the EU or would be more prosperous outside it.  The overall finding was 22 per cent in favour of the EU and 48 per cent against (net -26), with a much higher don’t know score of 15 per cent (as against 6 per cent for overall benefits).  Every single breakdown of the voters was negative – political party, gender, age, social grade and geography – with the sole exception of Liberal Democrat voters.

  Not even Liberal Democrats could find a majority in favour of further UK participation of bailouts of eurozone countries (-29, compared with -52 for the country as a whole).  The notion that, as a non-member of the eurozone, Britain can stay out of its troubles seems to be widely shared.

  Should there be a referendum?

  Lastly, the survey asked a series of questions about referendums, both on EU membership and on any future treaty, asking whether they should be held and which way one might vote.  The headline figures are that, on EU membership, 62 per cent think that their political party should commit to holding such a referendum (27 per cent against) and 51 per cent would vote against membership (27 per cent in favour) were one held.  On a new treaty, 59 per cent think there should be a referendum (26 per cent against) and 49 per cent would vote No (13 per cent would vote Yes, 32 per cent don’t know).

  The figures show that there is strong support for a public vote on the future of Britain in Europe.  Examining the numbers more closely, however, shows that there is a very strong correlation between support for holding a referendum (on EU membership or on a new treaty) and voting No in that referendum.  What this suggests is not simply dissatisfaction with the way in which decisions about Britain and Europe have been taken, but rather dissatisfaction with the result of those decisions.  A referendum on Europe is the means to reverse the decision of parliament rather than an end in itself.

  What this means is that if pro-Europeans wish to win the argument, they have to put the case for Europe and not merely against referendums.  If confidence in Britain’s EU membership returns, demands for a referendum against it will diminish.

• 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 22, 2011
• 12:39

  The Swiss example – not what it seems

   » ‎ European Movement UK

  At a debate on EU membership organised by the Spectator on 20 September (read a report here), leading eurosceptic Daniel Hannan MEP compared the UK unfavourably with Switzerland.  The Swiss experience of non-membership of the EU, he said, has been more beneficial than the UK experience of membership.  We are poorer, both in economic terms and in the health of our democratic life.

  That is what the MEP says: what about the facts?

  Switzerland is undeniably richer than the UK (GDP per capita currently around $63,000 as opposed to $35,000) but is that because of the EU?  The chart below shows the ratio of Swiss per capita GDP to that of the UK, since 1960 (the blue line) (data from the World Bank).

  

  Ratios of GDP per capita (data from the World Bank)

  Switzerland is richer now, but it was richer then, too.  The gap between the two has widened, notably in the mid-1970s, which was a particularly bad time for the British economy, and since the economic crisis started in 2008.  There have been periods of time when it has narrowed, too, during the late 1980s during the completion of the single market and during the long boom of the last decade.  The ratio is now about where it was when Britain first joined the EEC in 1973.

  Compare also the experience of Germany (the pink line).  Again, Switzerland is richer than Germany, but consistently so.  If it was membership of the EU that was dragging a country down, we would see the gap between Swiss and German wealth grow.  In fact, that gap does not grow, which implies that membership of the EU is perfectly compatible with a successful economy.  The fact that Britain has, relatively speaking, declined is due to failings in British economic policy and not due to membership of the EU.

  So, if the contention that the EU is harming the British economy is proven to be false, what about the harm allegedly done to British democracy?

  The chart below depicts election turnouts since 1979, showing Switzerland, the UK and the European Parliament (percentages from International IDEA).

  

  Election turnouts (data from International IDEA)

  The lowest turnouts are the Swiss.  So much for the contention of a nation of politically engaged independent citizens, as opposed to the democracy-denied British.  Swiss turnouts are even generally lower than those of the European Parliament!  Daniel Hannan doesn’t like to tell us that.

  Of course, Switzerland is a federal country, so there are elections at other levels of government to take into account.  The latest elections in the canton of Bern saw a turnout of 43.48 per cent, in Luzern it was 43.5 per cent, and in Zürich, it was only 35 per cent, i.e. lower than the federal turnout.

  There is also the culture of direct democracy, in which issues of public controversy can be put to referendums, but turnout in these referendums is normally less than 50 per cent.  A study of Swiss democracy by the University of Zurich and the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB) reported that:

  “A large part of the Swiss population does not engage in politics and those who do are primarily educated, well-off, older and disproportionately male.”

  Looking out at the audience at the Spectator debate, we can see why the Swiss model might be attractive to them.  But to the rest of us, maybe not so much.

  Swiss democracy and the Swiss economy have many admirable features, but membership of the European Union does not prevent Britain from emulating them.  If there are failings in our own political system, giving us bad decisions and mistaken policies, we should recognise them for what they are and not be content simply to blame them on others.

  To leave the EU in the hope that this would make us more like Switzerland is a fantasy.  If we want to be more like the Swiss, we can, and we don’t have to give up the benefits of EU membership in order to do so.

• 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
• 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

• September 01, 2011
• 13:58

  The truth about light bulbs

   » ‎ European Movement UK

  The sale of 60 watt incandescent light bulbs is banned in the UK from today, as part of an EU-wide strategy.  A report on the BBC website was accompanied by a comment from a shopkeeper:

  “This is not a democracy, it’s becoming like a dictatorship, ordering you to do this, do that. You should have a choice.”

  To which the only answer can be, no it’s not like a dictatorship.  Here’s why not.

  The intention to ban incandescent light bulbs was agreed, unanimously, by the European Council (composed of the heads of the national governments of the member states) in March 2007, as part of a strategic plan to reduce the environmental impact of lighting.  The new light bulbs are much more efficient users of energy and so will lead to a reduction in the emissions of carbon dioxide, a major contributor to climate change.

  That strategic decision was enacted in a regulation drafted by the European Commission with the formal involvement of stakeholders such as consumer and environmental NGOs, approved by a committee of experts nominated by the member states, and then approved by the European Parliament.  It is hard to think of a process less like that of a dictatorship.

  As to the issue of choice, let us remember what the regulation will do.  Carbon dioxide is in effect a pollutant, and this regulation will reduce the amount that is emitted.  The primacy of “choice” here would mean that people have the choice whether to cause more pollution.  It would undermine democracy if a majority against pollution was unable to take effective action against it because a minority was free to carry on polluting.

  Incidentally, let us imagine that the wishes of the anti-Europeans were granted.  The EU institutions are reduced to a forum for cooperation among the national governments and nothing more.  How would this issue be dealt with?

  There would be an agreement among the national governments to phase out these polluting light bulbs (this is a single market matter to be dealt with at European level because otherwise a company in one country could sell them to consumers in another country undermining that second country’s own ban), followed by a meeting of the national government technical experts to sort out the detail.  At which point, that would be it.  The possible role of the directly-elected European Parliament in scrutinising the new law would be eliminated, because all political power rests in the hands of the national governments and none in the hands of the European institutions.  Is that a better system?

  Ah, but there are national parliaments: they would have a role instead.  But what kind of role could that be?  If a national parliament is entitled to reject the European decision, then the single market falls apart.  And if a national parliament is not entitled to reject the European decision, then it is reduced merely to a rubber stamp.  Neither of those outcomes is acceptable.

  The pro-European case is that the parliamentary debates on European decisions should take place at European level.  The role for national parliaments on these issues is to scrutinise and hold to account the actions of their respective national governments, in the European Council and in those committees of national experts.  It is on the work of those latter committees that more light needs to be shed.

• August 19, 2011
• 13:43

  No case for a referendum on EU membership

   » ‎ European Movement UK

  The People’s Pledge campaign claims to be in favour of a referendum on EU membership.  The European Movement does not support this campaign: while it is not necessarily against a referendum on further developments in the EU – should Britain join the euro, for example – the European Movement does not believe that a referendum is required to confirm British membership of the EU. However, that isn’t really what the campaign is about.

  It is motivated not by a belief that constitutional questions should be settled by referendums, but because such a referendum is the means by which Britain might leave the EU.  By all means campaign against EU membership if you wish, but don’t dress your campaign up as something it isn’t.

  Five reasons are put forward in favour of a referendum on EU membership (full text here): they are the usual eurosceptic arguments and here are our replies:

  1. “No one under the age of 54 has had the chance to vote on our relationship with Brussels”

  There are many constitutional issues that have not been put to a referendum even as recently as 1975.  The retention of the monarchy, for example, or independence for Scotland.  Do the supporters of the People’s Pledge also want referendums on those questions, too?

  Kelvin Hopkins MP, a leading supporter of the People’s Pledge, opposed his own government’s proposal to hold a referendum on electoral reform in February 2010, so he has zero credibility in arguing that constitutional questions should be put to referendums.

  It is true that the EU has changed considerably since the referendum in 1975, but every one of those changes has been approved by parliament.  They have the same “democratic, moral legitimacy” as anything else parliament has done.  Strange that people who claim that the House of Commons is losing its powers also deny the right of the House of Commons to use the powers that it has.

  2. “The EU now makes a majority of the laws we must obey”

  It is simply untrue that a majority of British laws originate in the EU.  Each year, the EU agrees only around 490 laws, whereas Westminster produces around 3,500 annually.

  And it is also untrue that the EU is obliging Britain to privatise industries such as the railway system and the postal service.  The decision whether or not to do this is entirely national.  After all, in France, there are no moves to privatise SNCF or La Poste.

  3. “The UK has less than 10% of the votes in the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament”

  To be part of a political community is to accept that other people also have a say in shared decisions.  If the UK has about 10 per cent of the population of the EU, what ought its percentage of the votes to be?

  As far as referendums are concerned, there have in fact been 32 referendums in 19 of the current EU member states on membership of the EU or on new treaties: the results were 27 in favour and 5 against.

  4. “The EU is costing Britain more and more money”

  Fraud in the EU budget, while too high, is no higher than in the UK budget.  The accounts for government departments such as Work and Pensions and the Ministry of Defence are regularly qualified by the National Audit Office.

  The UK was not forced to contribute to the loan to Greece: it chose to.  And since then, has chosen not to do so again.  Because the UK is not in the eurozone, it is not part of the eurozone’s financial provisions; however, it is a member of the IMF and thus contributes to the IMF’s activities.  If people think that the UK should withdraw from the IMF, they should say so.

  5. “The EU wants to give itself new powers of ‘economic governance’”

  Every European treaty has to be agreed unanimously by all the member states.  The UK is not a member of the eurozone and can protect that status in any future treaty; it can also ensure if it wishes that it is not subject to any new obligations.  If other European countries wish to agree a new treaty among themselves without involving the UK, they should be free to do so, but that does not mean that they will apply to Britain.

  Not only do these five reasons not stand up to scrutiny, there are two further reasons why a referendum on the status quo would not be a good idea.

  First, let us think about a Yes vote in favour of membership (this would be the outcome for which party leaders David Cameron, Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg, Alex Salmond, Ieuan Wyn Jones, and Caroline Lucas would be working; against them would be Nigel Farage and Nick Griffin).

  It would settle no argument.  The eurosceptics would surely carry on campaigning against the EU.  After the referendum in 1975, the campaign against membership was relaunched as soon as 1976.

  Secondly, any debate needs to be honest.  If a candidate knowingly makes false allegations about his opponent in a general election, there is redress available afterwards, as Phil Woolas discovered.  But we saw that, in the behaviour of the campaigns for and against the Alternative Vote, a referendum campaign makes adherence to the facts much harder to enforce.  A referendum on Europe conducted under a cloud of lies and misinformation would not serve its ostensible purpose of empowering the British people, and we can see from the false claims made by the eurosceptics already how they would intend to fight such a campaign.

  The European Movement supports British membership of the European Union and argues the case for more democracy, effectiveness and accountability.  A substantial set of reforms to the existing EU treaties might well merit a referendum.  But until then, we should work to make the European Union work better, rather than setting a course for the exit door.

• 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 08, 2011
• 14:10

  Bringing back the death penalty?

   » ‎ European Movement UK

  The government has launched a new website where people can post petitions for signature.  If a petition gets at least 100,000 signatures, it will may be debated in the House of Commons.  The petitions website is here [epetitions.direct.gov.uk] .

  One of the first campaigns to be launched is the so-called Restore Justice campaign, arguing for the restoration of the death penalty for murderers of police officers and children.  (There is also a rival petition, defending the status quo.)  If the restoration petition gets its 100,000 signatures, which is not impossible, the issues that it raises are more complex than just those of law and order.  The petition itself asks:

  “the government to review all treaties and international commitments which may inhibit the ability of Parliament to restore capital punishment.”

  Those treaties include the Lisbon treaty, which gave legal effect to the Charter of Fundamental Rights, in which Article 2, “Right to life”, reads:

  1. Everyone has the right to life.

  2. No one shall be condemned to the death penalty, or executed.

  To reintroduce the death penalty in the UK would require withdrawal from this part of the Charter.  How that could be done, nobody knows.  The Lisbon treaty does not make provision for a member state to pick and choose some bits of the treaty and not others, but rather for a member state to withdraw altogether.

  The proponents of the petition are themselves aware of the complications.  Paul Staines, a well-known blogger, who launched the idea, tweeted that “restoring the death penalty has profoundly eurosceptic implications”.  Perhaps this is what they want.

  The European Movement itself does not have a formal view of whether or not the death penalty should be brought back, but its members and supporters may well have views of their own.  Here are the rival petitions, if you wish to sign one or other of them:

  In favour of death penalty  [epetitions.direct.gov.uk]

  Against  [epetitions.direct.gov.uk]

• 11:23

  The British government’s ostrich strategy towards the eurozone

   » ‎ European Movement UK

  By Petros Fassoulas

  Perhaps the flightless African bird does not deserve the reputation it has acquired but in terms of symbolism at least the British government’s reaction to the eurozone crisis resembles a lot the ostrich’s alleged tendency to bury its head in the ground when confronted with danger.

  Because there is no other way one can describe how Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne have reacted as financial and stock markets seem to implode around them. Even though they have acknowledged the severity of the situation, even though they have admitted that what happens in the eurozone has a direct impact on the UK economy, even though they have gone as far as encouraging their EU partners to adopt the measures necessary to contain the crisis, they have declared, with immense but ill-founded pride, that they are keeping themselves, and the country, away from the decision-making process that aims to resolve the present crisis and put in place the mechanisms that will strengthen the eurozone and safeguard the European economy.

  This is where the truly dangerous surrender of national sovereignty lies. When the growth of the British economy depends to such a big degree to the well-being of the eurozone, when billions are wiped off the value of British assets in the London Stock Exchange because of the uncertainty the debt crisis has caused in the financial markets, the British government cannot afford to just stand by idly, inviting others to make decisions that affect the country so profoundly. Whether Mr Cameron and his eurosceptic backbenchers like it or not, the UK is by default part of the eurozone. The British economy is integrated with those of our European partners through the Single Market. The ability of our export sector to generate growth at home depends on the ability of our European partners to purchase our goods and services. The European financial services sector, with London at its heart, is interconnected through a complex web that links the banks and other financial institutions with something that resembles a stranglehold. Even the cost of our holidays depends on economic conditions in the rest of Europe. Sticking our heads in the ground, like senior Conservatives – in and outside the government – are calling for, pretending that it is up to ‘those Europeans’ to sort this one out, like we have nothing to do with it, is frankly a clear case of biting one’s nose to spite one’s face.

  But there is a pattern in their madness. Their intention is to present the process of European integration as a speeding train, one that charges towards a certain direction, a train that the UK cannot and should not board. They in fact prefer to encourage members of the eurozone to move forward towards closer economic and fiscal union in the belief that the British electorate will be put off once and for all by the prospect of the European project. Then the government will pursue some kind of marginal role at the periphery of the EU, limited on trade and a couple of other things but staying clear of anything as big as economic, monetary and fiscal union. In effect create a two-speed Europe and relegate Britain to the second tier.

  Those two Europes that the Conservatives envision are the Eurozone on one side and the non-Eurozone EU member states on the other. But of the 10 remaining EU countries that have not joined the single currency yet only the UK and Denmark have an opt-out. All the other member states have declared their wish to eventually join (once they are ready). Even Denmark is in a process of revisiting its opt outs, including euro membership. So sooner than later the UK will find itself all alone, at the outer rim of the EU, a small island, adrift in the Atlantic, squeezed between two global currencies, the dollar and the euro (not to mention the renminbi). Alienated, without a seat around the table, unable to influence the decisions that affect its economy.

  There were two Europes before, during the days when the European Economic Community (that eventually became the European Union) co-existed with the European Free Trade Association. What happened then is what will happen with this two-speed Europe. EFTA states, including the UK, quickly realised which was the organisation worth belonging to and eventually drifted into it, in many cases too late to have any influence in the formation of its fundamental structures. What is left of EFTA these days is a tiny grouping, made up of Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and in some way and form Switzerland. These remaining EFTA states, reluctant to join the EU but keen to participate in the Single Market, Schengen and other EU policies have to abide to the rules decided by EU member states without having a say in the way those rules are agreed and adopted (while at the same time contributing to the EU budget). Is this the fate the UK would like to reserve for itself? Is this the future the current government is happy to relegate the UK to? One of marginalised insignificance on the sidelines, having to accept the consequences of decisions that affect us but are taken without us?

  The eurozone will survive and will continue its successful course through history. Its leaders have demonstrated their commitment and they will do whatever it takes, albeit at a pace different to that the markets, the press and many ambitious integrationists (like yours truly) might desire. It will survive because it possesses the necessary strength, its collective economic fundamentals are solid, it enjoys the confidence of world powers like the US and China and it has at its heart some of the most dynamic and global economies in the world. The question is whether the UK will be part of it or not.

  Historians will one day look at what took place at this particular moment of European history. Whether they will acknowledge the UK as a strong and confident nation, at the heart of decisions that formed the future of our continent (and the world) or as a nation that turned inwards, closed itself up and resigned itself to a life of irrelevance in the sidelines will depend on what role Cameron and Co will decide to play from now on. Will they put their chips down, sit around the table and have a say in the hand the EU will play? Or will they leave through the back door while the rest of Europe moves forward?

  I guess we will know soon.

   

• 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 Company’s 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 Company’s 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 Company’s 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 O’Donnell-Keating
  
  Executive Director
  Ms. Noelle O’Connell
  
  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 Ireland’s 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 we’ll 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 O’Shea, Ireland’s 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 Union’s external auditor. Together with overseeing the financial affairs of the EU, the Court also examines the effectiveness of European policies. Other areas of the Court’s work include agriculture, structural funding and external aid. As well as being collegially responsible for all the Court’s work, each Member of the Court has responsibility for a particular area.

  About the Work of the Irish Member of the Court
  Eoin O’Shea is a member of Chamber IV of the Court which handles the Court’s work on EU Agencies, revenue, research, administration, EU banking and borrowing. He is responsible for the Court’s 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 Court’s work on the EU’s 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 O’Shea 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 O’Shea
                             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 O’Shea)

  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 Ireland’s 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 Ireland’s engagement with the EU”

  Throughout 2010, European Movement Ireland’s Accountability Report measured key indicators tracking Ireland’s 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 O’Connell, “EM Ireland’s 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 Ireland’s Executive Director, Noelle O’Connell is available for comment. Please contact call 01-662 5815 or email info@europeanmovement.ie

• July 07, 2011
• 9:29

  EM Ireland Member Event - Invitation

   » ‎ European Movement Ireland

   

  EM Ireland Members Event Thursday 21 July, 6.30pm European Union House, 43 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2  European Movement Ireland would like to invite you to attend our upcoming Members Event -  On the night, Minister of State for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton TD, will address European Movement Ireland members -  Tributes will be made to EM Ireland founding members Dr Garret FitzGerald and Mr Declan Costello by former Taoiseach John Bruton -  The ‘EM Ireland 2010 Accountability Report: Annual Report Tracking Ireland’s Engagement with the EU’, will be launched by EM Ireland Chairperson, Maurice Pratt -  EM Ireland, in collaboration with the European Parliament Information Office in Ireland, will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Ireland’s first application to join the EEC Light refreshments will be served and members will have the opportunity to network and to meet with the EM Ireland team. We look forward to seeing you there.   Please RSVP by Monday 18 July to confirm your attendance: T: 01 662 5815 E: info@europeanmovement.ie

• June 29, 2011
• 9:19

  The Greeks’ salto mortale

   » ‎ European Movement UK

  As the sun rises over central Athens those that have engulfed the Parliament building ponder their situation. They have been driven here by disappointment, desperation, even anger and the stark realisation that this is truly as bad as it gets. Their disenchantment has made them think the unthinkable and all of the sudden

  While their elected representatives prepare to make one of the most important decisions of their lives, those gathering around Syntagma Square argue that they are the victims, they have been robbed by a corrupt political elite, an inefficient bureaucracy, a clientalistc system which dictates that it’s who you know, not what you know, that really matters. They are the working and the middle classes, the pensioners and the unemployed graduates that are asked to shoulder the burden of the austerity measures necessary to put in order Greece ‘s finances. But as far as they are concerned they are not the ones that caused the crisis. They accept the notion of collective responsibility, they are aware that they are complicit to the crimes committed over the past 30 years but they are not the ones who engaged in vast corruption in the public and private sector, they are not the ones that evaded taxes massively and they are not the ones that spent investors’ capital to buy risky sovereign bonds. So they do not understand why they have to stand by and watch their taxes rise, their wages shrink and their public services disappear when those that brought the country to the brink of collapse escape prosecution or avoid having to accept the consequences of their own actions.

  Whatever one thinks of these arguments it probably matters little to those that are charged with helping Greece out of its current predicament. The IMF, the EU governments, the financial markets and above all taxpayers across the eurozone want to see the Greeks earn their bail-out. They do not care much about who in the country carries the bigger share of responsibility. As far as they are concerned the austerity measures imposed by the IMF-EC-ECB programme are the bare minimum the country needs to do if it is to put its finances in order (and redeem itself in the process). They want to make sure that the Greeks will pay them back but the way they go about will likely produce the opposite result.

  The loans that form the bail-out, especially the EU part, are offered at an interest rate above 5%, which is substantially higher than the average rate eurozone and EU states borrow at. So when Greeks pay back those loans its EU partners stand to make a hefty profit. But the kind of conditions attached put that prospect in grave risk. Because asking an economy that is going through a devastating contraction to adopt punitive austerity measures, at the same time as it is trying to adopt and apply structural reforms, compromises its chances of growth. Economic development cannot be achieved by cutting public spending, while imposing crippling tax rises, which take money out of the economy, and cutting – already low by EU average standards – wages, reducing the population’s purchasing power. Such policies undermine the country’s ability to generate income and pay back its dues, hurting at the same time indirectly and unintentionally its own partners. If that’s not shooting ones self on the foot, what is?

  Many argue that there is a way out of this unpleasant situation. Greece should default and leave the eurozone. Devalue the drachma and run its own monetary policy. But that is a narrow minded and myopic view. Going back to the drachma, not a simple procedure by any stretch of the imagination, will have devastating effects on the economy, the banking sector and the wider population. It will condemn the country to poverty, cut it off capital markets (and EU assistance) and make it even more dependant on IMF assistance, and the austerity conditions that come with it. At the same time a devaluation, no matter how steep, is unlikely to bare any fruit, considering that, unless massively restructured, the Greek economy is unable to produce competitive internationally products and services. No matter how cheap they are. As for running an independent monetary policy, how independent can it be when conducted from a small corner of Europe , with sadly a history of incompetent handling of monetary affairs?

  Not to mention the effect a Greek default will have on the markets. The problem does not lie exclusively on the level of exposure some European banks have to Greek sovereign debt. It also resides in the level of exposure they have to each other and the limited amount of confidence they have on their own health. Most European banks still carry the scars of the credit crunch, one of them manifested in the lack of trust they have in their peers, and this fragility makes them panicky and likely to over-react. So even though Greece is no Lehman Brothers in terms of size and exposure, a fragile, paranoid and over-sensitive financial services sector is bound to over-react, run for the heals and in the process cause a huge stumpy, crashing on its way countries like Portugal, Ireland, even Spain, which, especially in the case of the latter two, are objectively nowhere near the precarious state of their Greek partner. But they might find themselves in the Greeks’ shows just because of the degree of mistrust and the lack of confidence the European financial services sector has in itself.

  So what is the solution? First of all we have to acknowledge that we are devoting far too much attention to the bush, ignoring completely the forest. For whatever reason Greece has become the focus of attention, maybe to take the spotlight away from other bigger and equally indebted EU member states. But the future of the eurozone will not be fought and lost on the streets of Athens . Here is a country equivalent to less than 2% of EU GDP, in the periphery of the eurozone, literally and metaphorically. If enough (but not comparatively much) political and financial capital is invested the Greek debt crisis can be (and should have already been) resolved.

  Secondly, we need to take a step back and remind ourselves of the state of the eurozone as a whole, which is full of successful, dynamic economies. These economies could certainly be in a better state if the process of economic integration was more complete but we should not discount the way the eurozone as a whole has weathered the crisis just because of debt and structural problems in a couple of its member states. The single currency itself is holding, albeit with some, understandable, fluctuations, its value – a significant vote of confidence from the markets and its partners. Furthermore, international actors, not least the Chinese, are happy to continue purchasing European paper, recognizing the long term positive prospects of the eurozone. Many others, including oil-rich states in the Middle East , have been, for a while now, diverging their foreign currency holdings in favour of the euro, a further sign of support for the single currency.

  But above all we need to allow the Greeks enough time to put their economy in order. That means first and foremost reconsidering the kind of remedy (or punishment) we ask the Greeks (as well as the Irish and the Portuguese) to take for the mistakes they committed. The IMF inspired bail-out terms are full of neo-liberal ideology and are running the risk of causing more trouble than offer solutions. Greece needs time to restructure its economy. While it is undertaking the necessary, and painful, reforms it must be allowed to extend the repayment of its current debts. Private investors have a role to play and a voluntary roll-over of debt repayments is in their long term interest as well. Also privatization should not be rushed, a fire sale won’t help the Greeks much. Giving up now on state assets that have the potential to generate better returns when sold at a more benign environment is counter productive, to put it mildly.

  Furthermore, the terms of the EU-EC-ECB bail-out should be revisited, there is no reason for interest rates to be so high and repayment to be demanded so soon. As argued above these terms limit, not enhance, Greece ’s ability to pay back its partners. In addition it is imperative that the notion of Eurobonds is reconsidered. Such a move might implicitly mean that Eurozone taxpayers underwrite Greek debt but it is cheaper than the bail-outs currently considered and will allow Greece to return, indirectly at least, to the markets. Going down that route will of course set the process of fiscal integration in motion and while the EU’s political leaders need to have an honest discussion with their electorate of what that will entail there is no other alternative than allowing our economic and monetary union to grow into a fiscal and political union. Because without adding those two pillars the architecture of the euro will never be complete.

  At the same time a bad assets bank should be set up, aimed to rid the banks of the bad loans that are hiding beneath the surface. For that to happen light must be shed to some dark corners of the financial sector, not a particularly pleasant process, but the eurozone will not secure itself a healthy future unless its banking sector is cleansed once and for all from past sins.

  Last but not least, a serious and proper development plan must be set up for Greece . Call it Marshal, or even better, Merkel Plan, but for the country to generate growth it requires investment that can only be provided at a scale similar to the one Americans offered to Europe after the 2nd World War.

  So, as the whole of Europe (and perhaps the world) is holding its breath in anticipation of the vote inside the Greek Parliament later today, the leaders of the EU should spare a thought for those gathering outside the building. Irrespective of the outcome of the vote, this is a time for hard choices, not just for the Greeks but the eurozone as a whole. Political bravery and economic long term thinking is needed. Otherwise the people of Greece might start believing that a salto mortale is the only option they have left.

  Petros Fassoulas, European Movement

• June 23, 2011
• 8:27

  EM Ireland Member Event - Save the Date!

   » ‎ European Movement Ireland

  Save the Date! Venue European Parliament Office EU House 43 Molesworth Street Dublin 2 Date Thursday 21 July 2011, 6.30pm Event European Movement Ireland Member Event Format -  Address to members by Minister for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton TD  -  Tribute to EM Ireland founding members Dr Garret Fitzgerald and Mr Declan Costello by Former Taoiseach, Mr John Bruton   -  Launch of EM Ireland’s Accountability Campaign by EM Ireland Chairman, Mr Maurice Pratt   -  Commemoration of 50th Anniversary of Ireland’s application to join the EEC in collaboration with European Parliament Representation in 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 O’Shea, Ireland’s 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 Union’s external auditor. Together with overseeing the financial affairs of the EU, the Court also examines the effectiveness of European policies. Other areas of the Court’s work include agriculture, structural funding and external aid. As well as being collegially responsible for all the Court’s work, each Member of the Court has responsibility for a particular area.

  About the Work of the Irish Member of the Court
  Eoin O’Shea is a member of Chamber IV of the Court which handles the Court’s work on EU Agencies, revenue, research, administration, EU banking and borrowing. He is responsible for the Court’s 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 Court’s work on the EU’s 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 O’Shea 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 O’Shea
                             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 O’Shea)

  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 Ireland’s 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 Ireland’s place at the heart of Europe through his work as one of Ireland’s 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 organisation’s Articles of Association in 1954.   Along with Donal O’Sullivan, Louis P F Smith, Denis Corboy, George J Colley, Sean J Healy and Dr Garret Fitzgerald, Mr Costello laid the first stone towards paving Ireland’s 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 Taoiseach’s 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 Children’s 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 Ireland’s relationship with Europe now at a critical point, Jillian’s 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, Jillian’s 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 Ireland’s newly appointed Executive Director, Noelle O’ Connell.
  
  Students, prospective volunteers and EM Ireland’s members were amongst those who turned out on the day to hear the advice of EM Ireland’s panel of speakers.  Chairman of the EM Ireland Board, Maurice Pratt emphasized the importance of maintaining a European outlook while the organisation’s Executive Director Noelle highlighted the diverse range of opportunities on offer within Europe and also explained EM Ireland’s 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 Ireland’s 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 year’s 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 Ireland’s 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 Ireland’s 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 organisation’s Articles of Association in 1954. Along with Donal O’Sullivan, Louis P F Smith, Denis Corboy, George J Colley, Declan Costello, and Sean J Healy, Dr Fitzgerald laid the first stone towards paving Ireland’s way to full EU membership.
  
   
  
  

• May 12, 2011
• 14:58

  Schengen readjustment and border controls – alarmism or necessity?

   » ‎ European Movement UK

  In early May 2011, borth France and Italy requested the European Commission to adapt the Schengen rules, abolishing border checks within the EU and proving crucial for the free movement principle, cornerstone of the EU’s economic and legal system.

  A few days later, the European Commission tabled a proposal to revise the Schengen system and to allow for temporary border checks to be re-installed between Member States. Barroso, the Commission’s president, held that “Reintroducing border controls is not a desirable development for Europe, neither in the current circumstances, nor for the future challenges that we will face sooner or later. It should be an absolute last resort.” The proposal was warmly welcomed by the Green party in the European Parliament and by the European People’s party, although it was strongly critisized by the European Socialist and Liberals.
  Further, Denmark decided on 11 may to rebuild its border checks in its ports and airports, and to re-open its border control points with Germany and with Sweden (to which Denmark united by a bridge).

  On the one hand,a possible re-establishment of border controls within the Union, even if temporary and applied as a measure of last resort, clearly goes against the aim of Schengen to provide a free circulation area within the EU and the Schengen Members. Such measures would severely hinder free trade and free movement provisions, which are amongst the EU’s key principles. Further, the adoption of such measures implictly shows a lack of trust between Member States, especially regarding the way some of them protect the Union’s external borders.

  On the other hand, some argue that national authorities should protect themselves against cross-border crime and against massive fluxes of illegal immigration (as under the current Schengen system, once these have gained initial access to the EU’s territory, they are entitled to free movement and can go to other EU Member States), and the only and most effective way to achieve such protection is with the installment of border check points and border controls.

  What do you think? Is the Commission’s proposal a step backwards or a step forward? Do you prefer a free Europe or a highly securitized Europe

• April 07, 2011
• 15:18

  How far should the PNR (passanger name ...

   » ‎ European Movement UK

  How far should the PNR (passanger name record) directive go?

  In the past few years, terrorist routes have become more complex. As an Euractiv article points out (which can be found here), “analyses made by counter-terrorism agencies demonstrate that terrorists often use EU hubs  instead of direct international flights and the complexity of their journeys has increased.”

  As a response to this, various EU Member States are rallying behind a British led campaign proposing the extension of the PNR directive and its provisions not only to flights in and out the EU but also to intra-EU flights.  They claim that controlling only the air travel outside of the Union would leave a considerable security gap, as for instance a terrorist could fly to Rotterdam and then fly anywhere inside the EU, the official authorities thereby loosing track of him/her.

  The inclusion of intra-EU flights under the PNR rules is currying favour amongst several Member States. However, not everyone is convinced with this proposal. Germany, being backed up by Slovenia and Austria, holds that the inclusion of “domestic” EU flights into the PNR directive is in clear breach of free movement of persons, which is one of the fundamental values of the EU. They argue for a limited collection of PNR data only for flights to and from third-countries and for a strenghening of data protection rules.

  On 11 April 2011, the Justice and Home Affairs ministers will be meeting in Luxembourg to hear the presentation on the PNR directive given by the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, Cecilia Malmstrom.

  Should the EU go the extra  mile and include internal EU flights under the PNR directive in the name of security and to fight terrorism or should the PNR directive only concern flights to and from third-countries, keeping its intrusion to a minimum?

• March 31, 2011
• 9:46

  News: Brussels Connection goes from strength to strength

   » ‎ European Movement Ireland

  Once again, Kitty O’Shea’s 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 Ireland’s 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 city’s 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 Andrea’s 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 Dublin’s 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 year’s 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 Chiaráin’s Captain Europe summed it up best when he said: “My Vision for Europe is a film competition with a meaning.  It’s not just about making a film but it’s about trying to put a message out there… that’s 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…
  

  
  We’ve highlighted the main points that deal with the EU below:
  

  Economy
  As you’d 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 parties…sought 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 Commission’s 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 EU’s 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 Ireland’s relationships abroad stating; ‘We are determined to restore Ireland’s 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 O’Shea’s (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 can’t do without!
  
  RSVP to info@europeanmovement.ie.
  
  We look forward to seeing you there.
   
  

   

  

   

   

  
  
  

• February 22, 2011
• 16:11

  My Vision for Europe Finalists Announced

   » ‎ European Movement Ireland

  The My Vision for Europe schools competition entries have undergone the scrutiny of our judging panel and the finalists have now been selected. Below are the successful teams and a link to their videos, which will be shown during the final.  A team from each European Parliament constituency on the island of Ireland has been chosen to progress to the final stage.  These finalists have been chosen to represent their regions at the national final, to be held in the Irish Film Institute in March, where they will compete for the chance to win a trip for their team to Euroscola in Strasbourg.  Congratulations to you all for getting this far and best of luck in the finals!

  We’d like to take this opportunity to thank every school that entered the competition.  The judges were highly impressed by the level of creativity and imagination on display in the videos.  From musical numbers to action sequences, one thing is for sure, if the creativity in these videos is anything to go by, there is a very bright future ahead for Ireland.

   

  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]

• 16:11

  News: My Vision for Europe Finalists Announced

   » ‎ European Movement Ireland

  The My Vision for Europe schools competition entries have undergone the scrutiny of our judging panel and the finalists have now been selected. Below are the successful teams and a link to their videos, which will be shown during the final.  A team from each European Parliament constituency on the island of Ireland has been chosen to progress to the final stage.  These finalists have been chosen to represent their regions at the national final, to be held in the Irish Film Institute in March, where they will compete for the chance to win a trip for their team to Euroscola in Strasbourg.  Congratulations to you all for getting this far and best of luck in the finals!

  We’d like to take this opportunity to thank every school that entered the competition.  The judges were highly impressed by the level of creativity and imagination on display in the videos.  From musical numbers to action sequences, one thing is for sure, if the creativity in these videos is anything to go by, there is a very bright future ahead for Ireland.

   

  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]

• February 17, 2011
• 11:36

  BARROSO DEFENDS THE COMMUNITY METHOD. After ...

   » ‎ European Movement UK

  BARROSO DEFENDS THE COMMUNITY METHOD.

  After winning a unanimous backing from the heads of EU member states in June 2009, Barroso was re-elected President of the European Commission for another five-year mandate. Barroso has always been an eager defendant of the so-called “community method” involving EU institutions and in his second mandate he will fight back any attempts of member states to deal with issues on an intergovernmental basis.

  We do not need to make an effort to remember the last time the intergovernmental basis was used, France and Germany, two of the most powerful members of the EU, decided to “do their own thing” and presented their Pact for Competitiveness at the last EU summit on the 4^th of February 2011.

  Barroso holds that the best way to “preserve the coherence” at EU level is to use the community method, where all the EU players and institutions are involved in the decision-making progress, from the first day until the last. Countries are tempted to use the intergovernmental methods because the community method is slow and some would say not efficient enough (this however, is probably a matter of time. Once the EU member states start trusting the EU institutions for their abilities to act as a political body, the procedures will become much more effiecient with time and practice). It cannot be denied that the European Commission is becoming much more political and much more powerful than some EU member states’ national governments. Further, there is no doubt that under the leadership of Barroso, the Commission’s strength will develop faster, but for this to happen member states need to let go of their fears (especially regarding sovereignty) and make the EU institutions count.

  If the member states of the Union would sit down and let the EU institutions tackle the issues the way they are supposed to, the outcome would be much more accountable, much more democratic and much more European.

• 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 organisation’s objectives and the development of organisational capacity and profile – the Executive Director is expected:
  

  • To deliver on the organisation’s 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 Ireland’s 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 organisation’s objectives and the development of organisational capacity and profile – the Executive Director is expected:
  

  • To deliver on the organisation’s 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 Ireland’s 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 we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have about this programme.

• February 02, 2011
• 16:55

  Event: UCC Conference for young people’s 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@ucc.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] .   

   

• 9:54

  Solvency ‘not an issue’ if Governments deliver on reform

   » ‎ European Movement UK

  It was not surprising that Herman Van Rompuy’s first UK speech as President of the European Council dealt primarily with the EU response to the sovereign debt crisis in the Eurozone and its chances of success.

  In the following Q&A, Phillip Stephens of the Financial Times sounded sceptical. He suggested that the injection of loans may well solve the liquidity problems in Ireland and Greece, but took no note of the solvency question surrounding these and some other EU member states. This issue also formed the leader in the Economist on the following day, the magazine advocating an early “restructuring” of debt with bond-holders taking a hit on the value of their holdings.

  But unlike the caricature of UKIP’s least favourite Belgian, President Van Rompuy responded robustly. He pointed out that the loans were conditional on both structural reform and cuts to budget deficits. He added that both Ireland and Greece, along with other countries at risk of contagion, were taking reform seriously and quickly getting on with the job. China’s move into Euro bonds was a sign of market confidence that the measures would work. He was bullish about the prospects of troubled member states cutting debt as a proportion of GDP, pointing to his own record as Belgian Finance Minister.

  Mr Van Rompuy had already given a clear sign of his position on the bail-out package in his speech (see box, right), but also paid attention to further development of the Single Market and supply-side reforms to make the EU economy more competitive.

  His linking of past failures in this respect to the current crisis indicated a determination to resurrect the aspirations of the Lisbon Agenda to turn the EU into the world’s most competitive economy (see next page). This process was let down by a lack of enthusiasm for reform among member states rather than failings at European level.

  Opportunity

  My own view is that the crisis has decisively brought home the need for reform, so Mr Van Rompuy will find it easier to make progress than Commissioners in the last decade. Also, as Council President, he will be better placed to address the main failure points; the member states. I also suspect that he has spotted this opportunity.

  In a wide-ranging speech, the Council President also covered the new stress tests for banks to reduce the risks of future banking crises having such catastrophic effects. He concluded with an overview of the EU as a player on the global scene, in which he, Mr Barroso and High Representative Baroness Ashton co-operate. He mentioned in particular, relations with India and Pakistan, maintaining a very strong neighbourhood agreement with Turkey and bringing Iran back to the negotiating table on its nuclear capability.

  I talked to fellow LDEG members Jonathan Fryer, Hugh Dykes, Graham Bishop and Dinti Batstone at the end of the event and there was a consensus that this was a very strong performance.

  I agree. Mr Van Rompuy has a clear agenda, largely consistent with liberal thinking, and may well have the determination to push it through. He deserves our support.

  By Phil Bennion, LDEG Chair, first published in Europhile, Jan/Feb 2011

• December 28, 2010
• 4:00

  OSCE Mission issues report on condition of Kosovo detention facilities

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  PRISHTINE/PRISTINA, 29 December 2010 - Living conditions in Kosovo's detentions facilities are satisfactory, but some outstanding issues still need to be addressed by relevant institutions, according to a report released today by the OSCE Mission...
• December 27, 2010
• 4:00

  OSCE Centre provides platform to discuss challenges facing Kyrgyzstan's new Parliament

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  BISHKEK, 28 December 2010 - A forum supported by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek to discuss the challenges facing Kyrgyzstan's new Parliament following the formation of the country's first coalition government was held in Bishkek today...
• December 23, 2010
• 4:00

  OSCE Centre supports journalism education in Turkmenistan

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  ASHGABAT, 24 December 2010 -Future press attachés, foreign correspondents and communications officers took part in an OSCE-organized series of lectures on contemporary global journalism that concluded in Ashgabat today...
• 4:00

  OSCE Office promotes new accountancy standards for Azerbaijani entrepreneurs

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  GUBA, Azerbaijan, 24 December 2010 - A training course on new accountancy standards for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), organized by the OSCE Office in Baku started today in the city of Guba, northern Azerbaijan...
• December 22, 2010
• 4:00

  Kazakh Chairmanship welcomes 2011 OSCE budget approval

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  VIENNA, 23 December 2010 - The Kazakh OSCE Chairmanship and the Lithuanian Chairmanship of the Advisory Committee on Management and Finance welcomed today's decision by the OSCE participating States to approve the 2011 Unified Budget of 150,764,700 euros.
• 4:00

  OSCE Centre supports publication of gender analysis manual to enhance local and regional budgeting in Kyrgyzstan

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  OSH, Kyrgyzstan, 23 December 2010 - An OSCE-organized workshop on gender mainstreaming for local and regional administration employees took place today in Osh, Kyrgyzstan...
• December 21, 2010
• 4:00

  OSCE Mission to Moldova helps former military officers transition to civilian life

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  CHISINAU, 22 December 2010 - Moldovan former officers and warrant officers today graduated from a course at the Moldovan Academy of Economic Studies held as part of an OSCE Mission to Moldova project to help...
• 4:00

  Anniversary publication of OSCE documents launched in Yerevan

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  YEREVAN, 22 December 2010 - The Armenian translation of three key OSCE documents prepared by the OSCE Office in Yerevan together with the Armenian Foreign Ministry was presented today to the Armenian public...
• 4:00

  Hungarian media law further endangers media freedom, says OSCE media freedom representative

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  VIENNA, 22 December 2010 - Hungary's new media law violates OSCE media freedom standards and endangers editorial independence and media pluralism, Dunja Mijatovic, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, said today...
• December 20, 2010
• 4:00

  Parliaments discuss oversight role and independent institutions in OSCE-organized regional seminar in Tirana

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  TIRANA, 21 December 2010 - The oversight role of parliaments and their relationship with independent institutions was discussed at a two-day regional seminar organized by the OSCE Presence in Albania, other OSCE field operations...
• 4:00

  OSCE Office to present survey on perception of corruption in Armenia's higher education system

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  YEREVAN, 21 December 2010 - An OSCE-supported study aiming to raise awareness and promote discussion on corruption in universities and to involve students in monitoring cases of corruption in universities will be presented on Wednesday...
• 4:00

  OSCE Presence, Ministry of Education promote civic education in Albania

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  TIRANA, 21 December 2010 - The promotion of active citizenship at schools will be the focus of a national workshop organized by the OSCE Presence in Albania and the Ministry of Education and Science on Wednesday...
• 4:00

  OSCE media freedom representative condemns arrests and assaults on journalists following Belarus election

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  VIENNA, 21 December 2010 - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatovic, today condemned detentions and assaults of Belarusian and international journalists in Minsk following the 19 December presidential election...
• 4:00

  OSCE Centre organizes conference that studies how labour migrants' remittances could boost Kyrgyzstan's economic growth

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  BISHKEK, 21 December 2010 - An OSCE-organized conference that started today in Bishkek looks at how earnings sent home by migrant workers could contribute to economic development in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan...
• 4:00

  OSCE Mission helps Bosnia and Herzegovina combat hate crimes

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  SARAJEVO, 21 December 2010 - The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina today concluded a series of roundtable meetings and other events to combat hate crimes and other bias-motivated incidents...
• December 19, 2010
• 4:00

  OSCE Centre in Bishkek supports training border officers to use Interpol database

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  BISHKEK, 20 December 2010 - A training course for Kyrgyz border troops officers from remote border checkpoints in south Kyrgyzstan on the practical use of the Interpol database, organized with the support of the OSCE Centre, started today in Bishkek...
• 4:00

  Belarus still has considerable way to go in meeting OSCE commitments, despite certain improvements, election observers say

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  MINSK, 20 December 2010 - Yesterday's presidential election showed that Belarus still has a considerable way to go in meeting its OSCE commitments, although some improvements were made, said the international observers...
• December 18, 2010
• 4:00

  Statement by the Special Envoys of UN, OSCE and EU on Kyrgyzstan

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  ASHGABAT - ASTANA - BRUSSELS, 19 December 2010 - The UN Special Representative Miroslav Jenca, the OSCE Special Envoy Zhanybek Karibzhanov and the EU Special Representative Pierre Morel issued the following statement on Kyrgyzstan today...

• 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 16, 2010
• 4:00

  Study visit to Turkey on judicial training organized by OSCE Centre

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  ASHGABAT, 17 December 2010 - Training of judges and prosecutors in Turkey has been the focus of an OSCE Centre-organized study trip to Ankara and Istanbul that concludes today...
• 4:00

  International election observers to present findings at press conference in Minsk on Monday

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  MINSK, 17 December 2010 - The observers of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to monitor the presidential election in Belarus will present their preliminary findings in Minsk on Monday...
• 4:00

  OSCE Office prepares trainers to deliver anti-corruption courses in Tajik border academies

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  DUSHANBE, 17 December 2010 - A one-week course on anti-corruption awareness and response measures for Tajik border and law-enforcement training academies' staff concluded today in Dushanbe...
• 4:00

  OSCE supports preventing human trafficking, assisting victims in Armenia

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  AGHVERAN, Armenia, 17 December 2010 - A national forum on the implementation of the Armenian national referral procedure of trafficked victims organized by the OSCE-established Anti-Trafficking Support and Resource Unit, started today in Aghveran...
• 4:00

  OSCE Centre supports anti-trafficking training for border guard officials and transport police

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  OSH, Kyrgyzstan, 17 December 2010 - An OSCE-supported training seminar for border guards, transport police officers and civil society representatives on the identification of human trafficking victims took place today with the OSCE Centre's support...
• December 15, 2010
• 4:00

  OSCE to donate equipment to Kosovo Centre for Public Safety, Education and Development

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  PRISHTINE/PRISTINA, 16 December 2010 - The Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Werner Almhofer will donate on Friday driving training equipment to the Kosovo Centre for Public Safety, Education and Development (KCPSED) in Vushtrri/Vucitrn...
• 4:00

  OSCE Presence hosts roundtable meeting in support of Albanian National Council of People with Disabilities

   » ‎ OSCE press releases and media advisories
  TIRANA, 16 December 2010 - The OSCE Presence in Albania is hosting tomorrow in co-operation with the British Council a final roundtable meeting of the project strengthening capacities of the Albanian National Council of People with Disabilities...