Minister Andrews highlights advantages of Amsterdam Treaty
Department of Foreign Affairs Press Release
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Minister Andrews highlights advantages of Amsterdam Treaty
Welcoming today's announcement of the Referendum Commission's plans for a public information campaign on the Treaty, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr David Andrews, T.D., has said that "it is important to our future wellbeing that the Treaty of Amsterdam receive a strong endorsement when it is put to referendum on the 22nd of May."
Mr Andrews said that there was much to be done in bringing home to the public the relevance of the Amsterdam Treaty. "While the Government has published a comprehensive White Paper on the Treaty, and has made available a short summary of its contents, there is an important task facing all of us over the next five weeks to explain what amounts to a complex set of proposals to change what the EU does and how it goes about doing it. The referendum campaign that can now get underway provides an opportunity to enhance public knowledge and awareness of the Amsterdam Treaty".
Minister Andrews went on to outline the advantages on the Amsterdam Treaty with particular reference to the manner in which it aims to respond to concerns of relevance to the Union's citizens. "The Treaty of Amsterdam was negotiated with the specific intention of allowing the European Union to respond more effectively to the concerns of its citizens. I want to highlight seven areas where the Treaty aims to make a real impact. These are: employment; social policy; the environment; combatting discrimination; consumer policies; public health; and the fight against crime.
With close to 11% of Europe's workforce still jobless, tackling unemployment is a major task across the EU. The Treaty of Amsterdam gives priority to promoting employment. When the Treaty takes effect, EU Member States will be committed to coordinated action aimed at attaining a high level of employment throughout the Union. While the EU cannot create jobs, it is important that its policies be geared to contribute to the achievement of common employment-creation goals. The Amsterdam treaty does this.
The Treaty's social policy provisions will facilitate the emergence of a single social policy throughout the Union and will allow for EU action to deal with the serious Europe-wide problem of social exclusion.
The Treaty will empower the EU to act against discrimination on the grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.
With regard to the environment, the achievement of balanced and sustainable development will become one of the Union's prime objectives. This will not prevent individual Member States from introducing stricter national arrangements for the protection of the environment provided these do not hinder the operation of the European single market.
There is to be greater EU focus on consumer rights, including the right to information. Consumer protection concerns will henceforth need to be taken into account in the implementation of all EU policies.
The new Treaty will seek to strengthen public health by allowing the Union to set European safety standards for human organs and blood products, and to take public health measures against animal and plant diseases. Fundamental responsibility for health services will, of course, remain with individual Member States.
On foot of the new Treaty, the Union's power to combat crime - particularly terrorism, trafficking in persons, offences against children, and illicit trafficking in drugs and arms - will be significantly strengthened.
"Over the years, the Irish people have consistently shown themselves to be solidly supportive of the process of European integration. Given the benefits we have derived from involvement in European integration, I am confident that this latest stage in Europe's development will meet with strong approval. It is in our best interests as a people to retain our place at the forefront of the Union's development," Mr Andrews said.
