Ireland, the UK and the EU
On the 27th of October, I gave evidence at the House of Lords’ EU Committee offering an Irish perspective on the current British debate about its future in the European Union. I spoke in response to questions from the Committee members. Here is a summary of the points I made.
In Ireland, we naturally take an active interest in the current EU debate in Britain. This is because, for Ireland, EU membership is a core national priority to which we are irrevocably committed. It is clearly very important for us that our nearest neighbour should continue to be one of our partners within the EU. Among the EU member states, we have probably the most intensive, multi-stranded relationship with you. We are the only country with which you have a land border and we have extensive, mutually-beneficial economic links, with substantial two-way flows of trade, investment and tourism between our two countries. Naturally, we would be concerned about a UK exit from the EU and its potential implications for British-Irish relations, which have never been better than they are today, and for Northern Ireland.
We have experience of situations where Ireland required an accommodation from our EU partners, for example prior to our second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty when we sought a response to the public concerns that had emerged. On that occasion, we found that our partners were willing to listen to us and after a process of negotiation to provide the assurances and adjustments we needed. In my experience, the EU has a flair for achieving common ground between the views of its member States, even when their positions appear to be at odds with each other.
A vision for the EU’s future can only be viable when all member States have ownership of it. This requires dialogue and the reconciliation of different perspectives. Our current vision of the EU’s mission and ethos is encapsulated in the Treaties and in the policies we have pursued together, but these horizons can always be adjusted when there are good reasons for doing so and agreement can be reached.
We share a desire to see the EU function as effectively as possible under the terms of the Treaties so as to best serve the interests of our peoples. We will be looking to accommodate UK concerns because we want you to remain members of the Union within which we have been partners for more than four decades.
The desire for continued partnership with the UK within the EU is widely shared in Ireland, including across the political spectrum and by a range of interest groups. Speaking in London last month, our Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan said that Ireland would be supportive of the UK in helping “to achieve reasonable reform objectives”, but that we must also be respectful of our 26 other partners.
Ireland has one of the most open economies in the world and we depend heavily on being competitive on world markets. For this reason, we often see eye-to-eye with the UK in EU discussions. For example, during our EU Presidency, we prioritised the completion of the single market especially in the services’ sector, launching the negotiations on TTIP and exploiting the potential of the digital economy.
The phrase ‘ever closer union’ has never been the focus of particular attention in Ireland, but we recognise that it is a contentious issue in this country. The UK’s concerns have already been acknowledged by the European Council in 2014 when it was noted that ‘the concept of ever closer union allows for different paths of integration for different countries, allowing those that want to deepen integration to move ahead, while respecting the wish of those who do not want to deepen any further’.
We are a member of the Euro Zone, but we also attach particular importance to ensuring the integrity of the single market. It is clear that the Euro Zone must be able to take decisions designed to improve the functioning of our currency, but in Ireland we would certainly not want to do anything to damage the single market which has delivered such significant economic advantage to our countries.
We have three broad reasons for being concerned about negative implications of a British exit from the EU.
The first relates to the positive impact of EU membership on British-Irish relations, which have never been better than they are today. A British exit could complicate relations between us, for example in the area of trade where almost £50 billion worth of goods and services crossed the Irish Sea in both directions last year. This benefits both economies as our trade is relatively balanced. Even a modest diminution of that trade would have negative effects for Ireland – and indeed for the UK as Ireland is one of your most important export markets. We reckon that some 200,000 British jobs are dependent on exports to Ireland.
Our second concern relates to Northern Ireland where the two Governments have a shared responsibility for nurturing the peace process. EU membership has I believe facilitated political progress in Northern Ireland. The EU has been a steadfast source of political and financial support for the peace process. Moreover, the single market, coupled with the success of the Good Friday Agreement, has enhanced contact and cooperation between North and South in Ireland. Anything that risks reversing that trend would be deeply unwelcome. Any suggestion of the possible need for a strengthened land border between North and South would be an unwelcome development.
Our third concern relates to the positive impact the UK has brought to bear on EU discussions throughout the decades of its membership. Although there are some differences between us, Ireland tends to see eye-to-eye with the UK on a wide range of policy issues and we would miss the UK’s influence around the negotiating table.
Given the extent of the interests we have at stake in this issue, we have a responsibility to state our views clearly. The Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, outlined our position during a speech in Cambridge in September, as did our Foreign Minister, Charlie Flanagan, at Chatham House a few days later. While completely recognising that this is a decision for voters here to make, as neighbours and friends we have a responsibility to highlight the particular British-Irish dimension to this vital UK decision on its future in Europe.
Daniel Mulhall is Ireland’s Ambassador in London