At a summit meeting in Brussels last week, European Union heads of state reached an agreement which addresses the “concerns of the Irish people on the Treaty of Lisbon” and allows the Irish government to propose a second referendum.

The communiqué released after the summit commits the EU to:

• Ensuring Ireland’s policy of neutrality
• Non-interference in Ireland’s domestic policy on the right to life, education and the family
• No extension in taxation
• Attach high importance to social progress and the protection of workers’ rights
• Re-affirms the responsibilities of the member states for the delivery of education and health

services and other general interest services

The Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Brian Cowen, who is expected to stage a second referendum by October 2009, said that there was, “clear evidence the European Union is ready to respond” to Irish concerns.

Ireland was the only EU country to allow its voters a say in the passing of the new treaty as it is constitutionally obliged to do. Irish voters rejected the new treaty on 12 June by a vote of 53.4 to 46.6 percent.

Of the other EU states, the treaty has had parliamentary approval in Sweden, Germany and Poland but is not yet ratified. The Czech Republic has not yet completed the approval process. The other 22 member states have ratified the treaty.

Irish voters also objected to a plan to cut the number of European commissioners, under which Ireland and some other smaller member would lose their guarantee of a commissioner. The council agreed that all 27 EU countries could continue to have a commissioner in Brussels.

If the legal guarantees are agreed over the next six months, they will be included in a protocol added to the ratification treaty for the accession of Croatia in a couple of years.

A poll in The Irish Times last month predicted that with assurances, Irish voters would approve the treaty by 43 to 39 percent, with 18 percent having no opinion. However in an editorial after the announcement the paper called Irish voters “slow” and pointed out that the “fundamental problem” with a second Lisbon referendum is that there is no guarantee it will pass.

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