Remarks by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Dermot Ahern, T.D. at reception to mark the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaties of Rome

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Iveagh House.

It is my pleasure to host this reception to mark the 50^th anniversary of the signing of the Treaties of Rome.  The 50^th birthday of the European Union is a milestone in the history of Europe’s advancement.      

All 27 Member States can take pride in the success of our Union.  We have each had a role to play in turning the dream of a peaceful and prosperous Europe into a reality. 

At this time of celebration, however, the Union’s six founding Member States - Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands – deserve special mention.    

When the Treaties of Rome were signed, there were few precedents for such an ambitious undertaking.  Modern Europe’s founding generation dared to dream that real and effective partnership among European countries could transform a continent still reeling from war. 

Like all pioneers, they had no guarantee of success, but their vision has been vindicated.

This teaches us that the hopes and dreams we harbour today can, with determined effort, become tomorrow’s reality. 

The European Union has been very good for Ireland.  When we joined in 1973, we were by far the least developed Member State.  We are now one of the wealthiest.

The Union’s common policies, notably the CAP and the Structural Funds, played a crucial role in the development of our economy.  EU membership facilitated the dramatic transformation of our country. 

Europe has also been a catalyst for the peace process, providing constant encouragement and generous financial support.     

Not many years ago, both Belfast and Berlin were notorious as places of conflict and division.  This week both cities became powerful symbols of understanding and optimism. 

As we celebrate 50 years of European achievement, we look forward with keen anticipation to a bright future for this island, a future anchored firmly within the European Union.   

Ireland’s success is also the Union’s success.   Europe’s abiding strength lies in the fact that the advance of one Member State is not to the detriment of others.  We work together and the common positions we create enable all of us to derive benefit from this collective effort. 

When Ireland joined the Union there were those who argued that membership would dilute our identity and erode our sovereignty.  In reality, our identity and our sovereignty have been enriched and enhanced.  Working with our EU partners, we have achieved more than we could ever have achieved alone.  Ireland’s experience is a testament to the power of the European model.  

Anniversaries like this inevitably prompt nostalgic reflection. In recent days I have seen many reports of what the Union has accomplished during its first 50 years, but we must continue to look to the future.  This applies to Ireland as it applies to the Union.  Complacency is not an option.

Looking to that future, I want to briefly address five important tasks facing the Union:

First, we should get on with sorting out the Constitutional Treaty.  This casts an unnecessary shadow over the Union’s future.  The Berlin Declaration has set the scene for dealing with this issue in the months ahead.  It is now time to put our shoulders to the wheel so as to prepare the Union for the demands and opportunities that lie ahead.     

Second, we need to pursue the Union’s economic agenda with renewed dedication and determination.  It is only by creating a knowledge-intensive economy that Europe’s way of life can be sustained and developed in the decades ahead.

Third, we must apply ourselves to the related issues of energy security and climate change.  The Spring European Council set ambitious targets on emissions reductions and the use of renewable energy.  This provides a springboard from which we can press for a global solution to these global problems.

Fourth, we Europeans have an obligation to do all in our power to help resolve conflict and combat poverty beyond our borders.  With this in mind, I am particularly glad that the Berlin Declaration has highlighted Europe’s commitment to promoting freedom and development internationally.  In an interconnected world, these are imperatives, not optional extras.

Finally, we have a duty to connect the Union more directly with the needs and interests of our peoples.   European integration cannot be an elite project.  It must be seen to serve our people’s daily interests. 

The Berlin Declaration states that “Europe’s wealth lies in the knowledge and ability of its people”.   To this, I would add the words – “especially our young people.”

As we mark this major European anniversary, I am delighted that Europe’s bright future is represented here this evening by some of our talented young people.  Among them is Karl Elliott, from St Aidan’s CBS in Whitehall and a prize-winner in the National Forum on Europe’s recent schools’ competition.

I would also like to welcome a number of Irish students who soon be traveling to various parts of the Union to study under the Erasmus programme.  I wish you all every success in what I am sure will be an exciting and rewarding venture for you.

The Berlin Declaration offers an eloquent testimony to what the Union has achieved over the past fifty years. 

It reminds us of the values that sustain the Union and draws attention to those issues that will make or break Europe in the years ahead. 

On the strength of our record since 1957, I am confident that Europe can rise to the new challenges of the coming decades.  In the words of the Declaration, ‘Europe is our common future.’

Distinguished guests, I now invite you to stand and join me in a toast:

To the peace and prosperity of Ireland, of Europe and of the wider world!

Síocháin agus saibhreas againn anseo in Éirinn, ar fúd na hEorpa, agus sa domhan uilig.