REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT A RECEPTION FOR COSAC
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE AT A RECEPTION FOR THE CONFERENCE OF COMMUNITY AND EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEES (COSAC)
Dia dhíbh a cháirde agus fáilte go léir go dtí Áras an Uachtaráin inniu.
Good afternoon everyone – Martin and I are pleased to welcome you here. I know you are involved in serious discussions but just for this hour or so I hope you can relax and unwind for a little while.
A little over two weeks ago I had the privilege and great pleasure of hosting an official ceremony here at Áras an Uachtaráin to welcome our ten new partners into the European Union family. Today I am delighted to welcome each COSAC delegate and to give a particularly warm welcome to those from the new Member States.
It is not so long ago that Europe was overwhelmed by deadly strife, that nations looked only to self interest, that hard headed realists believed it to be an absolute that the strong would always subjugate the weak. There are perhaps still some diehards who continue to think like that. But we have turned our backs on that miserable world and time and we are building a culture of equals, of consensus and partnership and we are doing it together, as colleagues and as friends.
Within the Union we may have different opinions and different interests and it is right that we should for it is in finessing our very differences that the best and most creative energies are harnessed. Ours is a fresh new culture of dialogue, of search for consensus in the common interest. It is still so young and such a radical concept that we need champions to promote and sustain it and simply to live it. COSAC is doing just that by enhancing and strengthening existing cooperation between Parliaments in the area of parliamentary scrutiny. Yours is work of lasting importance.
Our Union is still a work in progress and there is still much to be done to improve the lives of our citizens. During our Irish Presidency we have tried our best to bring the Union closer to the people of Europe knowing how essential is a healthy attitude to the Union among Europe’s many citizens. You, the directly elected members of the national and European parliaments are utterly essential to the process of connecting citizens to each other and to the Union. No one is better placed than you to assess EU draft legislation, to represent the interests of your constituents, to explain to your fellow countrymen and women how the EU functions and how it contributes to bettering our lives. These are critical tasks in an enlarging Europe where the indicators are that many citizens feel a disconnect with the Union. We need to bridge that gap and I congratulate you on all you do to meet this challenge.
When I spoke at the European Parliament late last year, I referred to the draft Constitutional Treaty as “a people’s Treaty”, and the Irish Presidency is continuing to work closely with its partners to seek agreement on the Treaty in advance of the June European Council. This Treaty differs from previous Treaties in that it was debated in a more open and transparent way than any previous Treaty, but also in that you, the representatives of the European Parliament and National Assemblies played an important role at the Convention on the Future of Europe in drafting and shaping it. Many of our citizens welcome that move to greater inclusiveness and openness.
At today’s plenary meeting, I know that you discussed ways of strengthening existing cooperation between parliamentary European Affairs Committees in assessing and scrutinising draft EU legislation. I wish you continued success in this endeavour and in developing greater partnerships between all 25 parliamentary Committees in an enlarged Union. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish all the candidates for the European Parliament the very best of luck in the forthcoming elections.
The themes which you have been addressing, and the rich diversity of points of view which you bring to the European enterprise, are like the chords of the harp so beautifully played for us today by Mary Kelly. They resonate best when counterpoint contributes to the harmony, and when the harmony supports the counterpoint. My thanks to Mary for her talented playing and our friends from Civil Defence for their expert assistance today.
My thanks also to you all for visiting today.
Go raibh maith agaibh.