Nice Treaty: Irish vote ‘YES’ in second referendum, October 2002

The EU's planned historic expansion to the east looks set to go ahead as scheduled after one of the final obstacles to enlargement was removed on 19 October 2002 when the Irish people voted to ratify the EU's Nice Treaty.

At the second referendum on the Nice Treaty, 62.89% voted in favour of ratification compared to 54% who voted 'NO' in the first referendum held in June 2001. With turnout the second time considerably higher - up a third to 48.45% - every one of the 42 constituencies voted yes to the Nice Treaty compared to only two in 2001.

EU officials and the Irish government have campaigned hard for a change in opinion after the shock result at the first referendum, arguing that the expansion of the EU would boost Ireland's economy as well as increase cultural diversity in the union. They also reasoned that having benefited hugely from EU membership over the last 30 years, it was now the turn of the Irish people to offer similar opportunities to Eastern European countries. The NO campaigners, which includes the Greens, Socialists and Sinn Fein nationalists, took the line that the Treaty would strengthen Brussels's powers and weaken the ability of the Irish government to handle its domestic affairs. They also argued that the Treaty's support for joint EU action on defence would compromise Ireland's neutrality although these fears were quelled by Brussels who issued a declaration saying that Ireland's neutrality would not be affected.

The Nice Treaty was devised at the final European Council of the French Presidency in December 2000 to pave the way for future EU enlargement - under current treaty provisions only 5 more countries can join the European Union. The Nice Treaty seeks to reform the way the EU institutions operate so that the decision making process is not paralysed in a Union with twenty-two or more Member States. The main features of the Treaty are:

• extending majority voting on some issues

• increasing the ceiling on the European Parliament from 626 to 732 in 2004

• reweighting votes in the Council of Ministers

• capping the size of the European Commission at 27

• allowing groups of eight or more countries to forge ahead with closer co-operation in certain areas

• laying groundwork for rapid reaction force

The Treaty must be ratified by all 15 Member States. Whilst the other 14 EU Members had already ratified the Treaty Ireland was obliged by its constitution to hold a referendum on the issue. Although many feared that an Irish rejection of the Treaty would prevent enlargement going ahead, officials in Brussels claimed that a way round it would be found such as getting the Irish Parliament to issue a declaration passing enlargement.

However politicians and diplomats across Europe have breathed a sigh of relief at the Irish result, which is reminiscent of the shift in Danish opinion on the Maastricht Treaty. Bertie Ahern, the Irish leader, said:

'We can now ratify the Treaty of Nice and the truly historic enlargement of the European Union can go ahead. What is good for the people of Europe is good for the people of Ireland'.

Ahern's feelings were echoed by Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission, who spoke of his 'delight' at the Irish result and said that the EU was closer to its goal of enlargement 'but not there yet'. There was also a sense of jubilation in the Eastern European countries, which are set to benefit the most from enlargement. Leszek Miller, Poland's prime minister promised to 'drink a glass of Guinness and sing 'I Love you like Ireland' if the Irish people welcomed the former Communist countries to the Union.

Whilst the Irish support of the Nice Treaty may have removed one of the final obstacles to enlargement, ministers must still agree on how to finance the project. Foreign ministers will conduct two days of talks in Luxembourg on 21-22 October before the annual autumnal summit of the European Council in Brussels on 25-26 Octoberwhen EU leaders hope to agree a compromise on such issues as farm subsidies, regional aid, budget contributions and the admission of a divided Cyprus. Only then can the EU's historic enlargement go ahead as planned in 2004.

European Commission:
	20.10.02:	Press release: Statement of Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission, on the results of the Irish referendum on the Nice Treaty [IP/02/1524]
	DG Enlargement
Irish Government:
	Homepage
	20.10.02:	Press release: Taoiseach's Statement on Nice Referendum Result
Referendum Ireland:
	Homepage
	Treaty of Nice (2002)
	Treaty of Nice (2001)
The European Journal:
	Homepage
	An insult to democracy: The Irish Government moves the goalposts [December 2001]
BBC News Online:
	21.10.02:	EU builds on Irish Yes vote
	20.10.02:	Irish relief at Yes vote
	20.10.02:	Ireland back's EU expansion
European Sources Online: Financial Times:
	21.10.02:	Irish Yes vote clears EU enlargement
	21.10.02:	Nice one, Ireland
	20.10.02:	Brussels brief: What next for enlargement?
European Sources Online: In Focus:
	European Council, Gothenburg, 15-16 June 2001
	Treaty of Nice signed 26 February 2001. What next for the European Union?, February 2001
	European Council, Nice, 7-11 December 2000
European Sources Online: Topic Guides:
	Enlargement of the European Union

Helen Bower
Compiled: Monday, 21 October 2002

At the second Irish referendum on the Nice Treaty held on 19 October 2002, 62.89% voted in favour of ratification compared to 54% who voted 'NO' in the first referendum held in June 2001