1. Harmonisation of Corporate Tax;
2. Losing permanent Commissioner, Halving voting strength;
3. The “Blank Cheque” Self-Amending power;
4. Superiority of all EU law over Irish Constitution;
5. Lisbon origin in rejected EU Constitution.
* Where is this all going? Harmonisation of Corporate tax:
Article 2.79 of the Lisbon Treaty would insert a six-word amendment -”and to avoid distorton of competition” – into the Article of the existing European Treaties dealing with harmonising indirect taxes – Article 113.
This would enable the European Court of Justice, which adjudicates on competition matters, to decide that Ireland’s 12.5% rate of company tax, as against Germany’s 30%, is a distortion of competition which breaches the Treaty Articles dealing with the internal market (Art. 26 and Arts.101-9 TFEU) in relation to which qualified majority voting on the Council of Ministers applies.
The Irish Government’s veto under Article 113 would thus be irrelevant.
* Where is this all going? Loss of permanent Commissioner and reduction in voting strength:
– Lisbon removes any Irish voice from the EU Commission, the body which has the monopoly of proposing all EU laws, for five years out of every 15 (Art.17.5 TEU).
– Lisbon abolishes our right to decide who the Irish Commissioner is when it comes to our turn to be on the Commission, replacing it by a right to make “suggestions” only for the Commission President to decide (Art.17.7 TEU).
– Lisbon Treaty would double Germany’s say on the EU Council of Ministers; Ireland’s voting weight would be more than halved to 1% (Art.16 TEU).
* Where is this all going? The self-amending Treaty:
– This could be Ireland’s last referendum on Europe – the EU can acquire new competences without another treaty, like signing a blank cheque.
– Lisbon would permit the EU Prime Ministers to shift most of the remaining EU policy areas where unanimity still exists, to majority voting, without need for new EU Treaties or referendums (Art.48 TEU).
* Where is this all going? The dilution of Bunreacht na hEireann and the superiority of EU law:
EU law is already superior to Irish law. Lisbon would further weaken Irish control by adding more competences and powers to the EU.
– It hands over to the EU the power to make laws binding on us in 32 new policy areas, such as crime, justice and policing, public services, immigration, energy, transport, tourism, sport, culture, public health, the EU budget etc.
– It removes a national veto in 68 areas
– Lisbon will give the EU Court of Justice the power to decide our rights as EU citizens – Ireland’s Supreme Court would no longer have the final say (Art.6 TEU).
* Where is this all going? The Treaty’s origin in the EU Constitution:
– The Lisbon treaty is a repackaged version of the EU Constitution (96% the same). France and the Netherlands both rejected it, people across Europe have felt increasing unease about the EU project.
Filed under: Uncategorized |
NationalPlatform.Org 
Being French and having participated to the 2005 No campaign in France, I wrote this text for the Irish voters:
http://arnaudherve.free.fr/Arnaud_HERVE.doc
I hope you will find it interesting. It is just one of the many contributions from outside that keep arriving everyday.
Good luck in your campaign.
Ireland, you are the only country in Europe who is still fighting for the democracy. About all other countries are trying to fight democracy by denying people the right to decide for themselves what they want.
I want anEU where people are permitted to decide their own lives, a place where the governments are enlightening, and encourage people to participate in the democratic institution. An EU which uses knowledge as the basis for their decisions,and not religious believes.
Denmark is for instance “ruled” by a primeminister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who openly has lied about the Iraq war, has created the Muhammad crisis by refusing to talk with not less than 11 ambassadors. The leader of a government which obviously don’t care aboutknowledge, but believe it has a god given right to tamper with scientific reports about the environment, because the results of the scientists don’t agree with political view of the government.
Our “ruler” is a person who acts more like a religious leader than a statesman, as he is refusing to let independent persons examine how he and his government openly are misleading the Danish people.
By voting NO to the treaty of Lisbon, the Irish people can help, not only the Danes, but most likely the entire EU, by forcing the governments to discuss the evolution of the EU with the voters, and not just try to rule the EU as a bunch of religious leaders who believe they have a god-given right to decide over other peoples lives!
Good hearted women and men of ireland. Please do our european continent a favor and vote NO to the lisbon treaty.
I ask your help for us all from germany. Most people in the 27 country’s are NOT AGAINST the european union but AGAINST an EU of the big businesses. Against an antidemocratic if not to say a faschist EU which do not care about their people. Wich do not care about our children and which do not care about peace.
They only care about foreign ressources which they want to “secure” for europe by means of war if neccessary.
They will send our children into dead, just to save their profits.
Again, good people of ireland. Remind your history as a strong and free nation and as well remind your responsibility for every other european nation who don’t have the opportunity to vote about their future.
God bless you..