Newsletter Platform Piece by Jim Nicholson to mark Europe Day, 9th May 2006
You may have come across a reference in your diary or calendar to the fact that today, the 9th May, is ‘Europe Day’ and perhaps wondered what it is.
On the 9th May 1950 Robert Schumann delivered a speech, which laid the foundations for what is now known as the European Union and today thousands of people across Europe from Belfast to Berlin will mark Europe Day as a celebration of the founding of the European Union and pay tribute to the eternal values of peace, solidarity and freedom, which have guided the EU since its formation.
But as we reflect on the birth of the European Union, we should take the opportunity to think about its future and what Northern Ireland’s relationship with the EU should be.
The idea of a European Union has always generated much debate in Britain. However, the irony is, that many of the topics argued over leave people cold. The reality is that the EU has become totally disconnected from people’s everyday lives.
Jobs, security, the environment and a proper social network are the main concerns of our citizens yet in recent years the EU has failed to focus on these priorities. Instead leaders in Europe became sidetracked and obsessed by debate over the now defunct European constitution, which if ratified, would have taken the EU further away from its citizens.
I have been an MEP for 17 years and in that time I have witnessed many changes in Northern Ireland’s relationship with Europe. Northern Ireland has gained much from membership of the European Union. Through various funding programmes the EU has contributed significantly to Northern Ireland’s social and economic fabric and has helped to address the legacy of decline left by thirty years of bombs and bullets. I am a Euro realist. Despite my frustration and often irritation at a lot of what Europe does there are still substantial benefits to be gained from Northern Ireland’s membership of the EU.
The UK Government is currently consulting on Northern Ireland’s share of 6.2 billion Euros of EU structural funds from 2007 – 2013. It is important that Northern Ireland receives its fair share of money available to it. The focus of this latest round of structural funding will be on helping the EU to implement the Lisbon agenda of becoming the most dynamic, competitive and knowledge based economy in the world. Northern Ireland is still playing catch up with other regions in the UK in terms of economic growth and development and the UK Government must take this into consideration when deciding who gets how much.
As I meet with the Minister in the coming weeks to discuss structural funding the message I will be taking to him is that EU structural funds don’t present the Government with an opportunity to offset the treasury’s subvention to Northern Ireland. EU structural funds are money that should be used in addition to funding from the treasury.
In recent times the EU has suffered from lack of leadership and a lack of transparency but as it stands at a cross roads there is a unique opportunity to build a new future for Europe where it does less but does it better and seeks to genuinely reconnect with its citizens.
Global terrorism and climate change are two of the biggest threats of the 21st Century, which require nation states across Europe to cooperate with each other in a flexible manner. It would be unthinkable to imagine European nations not cooperating to combat international terrorism or counter the spread of avian flu.
If the EU is to have a future it is flexibility not rigidity and deregulation not regulation, which will help it to fulfil its noble founding intentions. Northern Ireland should play its part in helping to build this new future for Europe.