As members of the European Union we accept and actively support the value system at the heart of the Union. The EU is not a mere economic union. The world has other economic unions which do not have the social dimension of the EU. It is this dimension which has driven the equality agenda, to which other Senators have referred. This equality agenda has transformed the lives of women and workers, introduced a legislative framework for worker, trade union and environmental matters and placed social cohesion at the heart of the economic activity of the Union.