John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

The major question which still must be addressed — this will be done in Salzburg at the Sound of Europe conference — is where to now with the constitution for Europe. Last week in Berlin Mr. de Villepin addressed the Humboldt University and outlined how France was progressing with the constitution. His statements are interesting in the context of what Deputy Rabbitte stated. Mr. de Villepin clearly stated that questions arise regarding full membership of the EU for Bulgaria and Romania. That will be a major point unless we can sort out the constitution. Mr. Balkenende from the Netherlands clearly stated that it is a non-runner to give the same constitution back to the Dutch people. However, Mr. Sarkozy argues that perhaps part one could be taken and passed through the French Parliament. People are at sixes and sevens on the issue.

To return to what Deputy Rabbitte stated, one thing is clear. Many people in France had real difficulty with the third part of the constitution. In terms of the concept of globalisation, the question we must face as Europeans is whether the European Union is an agent for globalisation or a bulwark against the worst effects of globalisation. That is what the European citizen wants to know. We must take a fresh look at this issue. I support the views such as those held by the NGO More Democracy, which played a great role in the last constitutional debate when it put forward ideas for the citizen's initiative. It argues that we need a new convention and a new constitution. This idea was also put forward by the PolishPresident today.

I ask the Government to listen to those voices examining the problem. Undoubtedly there is a new dynamic within the European Union. Events that nobody foresaw have taken place, even in the security debate. We know the accession states are more NATO-friendly than others. They have a completely different point of view which must be considered. It is possible to get a more simplified text on which European people will agree. Ultimately, the people consider job security and their social protection must be a number one priority.

They also consider the question of sustainability referred to by Deputy Quinn. We require a protocol on sustainability, which was suggested for the constitution but unfortunately it was rejected. We must examine that. I welcome the recommendations from the summit on climate change and sustainable energy. It is a move in the right direction. In particular, I welcome the fact we are now examining reducing the impact of aviation on the climate. It will be the biggest source of greenhouse gases and yet we take cheap flights for granted. There is hope that when the European Union starts to address these issues which concern the citizen, we will then make progress.

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