Taoiseach meets with the President of the European Parliament, Mr. Hans-Gert Pottering
The Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern TD, today met with the President of the European Parliament, Mr. Hans-Gert Pöttering.
Following the meeting the Taoiseach said; " It is a great pleasure to welcome President Pottering to Ireland. After the 50th anniversary of the European Union, we are conscious of the progressive strengthening of the European Parliament’s role in EU decision-making and of the strong contribution it has made over the years.
President Pottering’s visit is especially timely as we work to the referendum on the Reform Treaty on 12 June. The eyes of Europe will be on Ireland as the Irish people have a great responsibility to secure the future well being of the Union. The Reform Treaty is good for Ireland and good for Europe. It brings in changes needed to deal with the major challenges of the 21st century – globalisation, climate change, energy security, cross border crime. We need to work well together if we are to tackle these problems.
The Reform Treaty not only provides for a more effective and efficient EU but a more democratic Union. I look forward to President Pottering’s address to Seanad at a time when the Oireachtas is debating the Referendum Bill.
Our meeting today afforded us the opportunity to discuss the European Commission’s proposals on climate change. I welcome the European Parliament’s engagement on this issue and the broad support MEPs gave to the Commission’s proposals. I believe the Commission’s proposals provide a credible framework for taking negotiations forward.
The proposals are also very challenging, and they raise serious economic and social issues for Ireland, as they do for all countries. Each EU Member State’s effort and contribution should be demonstrably fair and proportionate. We must ensure that in reducing greenhouse gas emissions we do so in a way that is sufficiently flexible and as efficient as possible."
7th April 2008