Mr. Emmanuel Jacob:

I thank the Senator so much for the question and the remarks. I can go to all of Europe and say which are bad examples and go to Europe and say which are good examples, but that is not the meaning of the discussion we should have today. The meaning of the discussion we should have is that we have here draft legislation that is going back in time with a certain number of rights and is bringing existing rights down and weakening rights. As I already said, we have different examples all over Europe, but one of the points we use at EUROMIL when we discuss good practices with our members and support those who have a problem is that we are not looking towards the minimum standards but towards the highest standards and trying to bring everyone to that level.

We are talking about higher standards in the field of human rights, because this is one of the human rights that exists also for military personnel. I refer especially to the right to speak and to express yourself, within certain limits. We all would have known the day we started wearing a uniform there would be certain limitations there for us, but the point is we have to bring these rights up to the level that is acceptable for everybody and does not put us outside this normal framework. As I said in my opening statement, there is a long way that came from the moment Ireland granted the right of association to its military personnel. The Irish situation was one of the first ones I learned about when I joined EUROMIL. One of the very first people I met in Brussels in my first step at EUROMIL was someone from Ireland who everyone probably knows, namely, John Lucey. John was the first man who brought me into EUROMIL and had discussions with me. As of that point Ireland was for me and example, and not only because of John Lucey. That is why we also continue, every time we do round tables and conferences, to use it as an example. It would really be a shame and unacceptable, even if these seems like hard words, that we would be going back with what is happening today and the situation we have.

We believe that the demands of PDFORRA and RACO are correct, and are not an overreaction or overreach.