Ireland anxious any EU treaty changes limited

Ireland would have to hold a referendum on any new European treaty that involved a transfer of power from Dublin to the European Union level, the Irish government warned in December 2011, in the context of the forthcoming European Council, Brussels, 8-9 December 2011 at which the EU / eurozone countries were expected to attempt to find a definitive solution to the eurozone debt crisis.

The Irish government was anxious to ensure that any changes to EU treaties agreed at the summit were sufficiently limited in scope to avoid a referendum which it could struggle to win. Memories of the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty in 2007 were still fresh and Dublin would face real difficulties in passing a complicated text strengthening EU oversight of budgetary affairs.

ESO: Background information: Merkel calls for rapid EU treaty change http://www.europeansources.info/record/merkel-calls-for-rapid-eu-treaty-change/

ESO: Background information: Irish PM warns Merkel over treaty change http://www.europeansources.info/record/irish-pm-warns-merkel-over-treaty-change/

Irish Times, 5 December 2011: Taoiseach says he wants to 'retrieve Irish sovereignty' http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/1205/breaking2.html

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