Seanad debates
Thursday, 10 October 2002
Address by President of the European Parliament.
Mr. Cox may be aware of the local radio station in his native Limerick and the chat shows broadcast on it. He may also be aware that there has been concern on the question of immigration. He has given an assurance here that there will not be a mass influx of immigrants into this country. I understand Germany and Austria have a provision not allowing immigrants from accession states into their countries until six years after accession. They are the natural hinterland to the new accession states and when the Berlin Wall came down, they embraced those countries. It is natural for Germany to identify with them rather than the European Union as we knew it. Unlike Germany and Austria, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands and Ireland have allowed free access from day one. Was that free access guaranteed in the first Nice treaty referendum – even though it was defeated – and has it been changed for this Nice treaty referendum? If so, why did we decide to accept it? When the working time directive was introduced, Ireland accepted it automatically but the United Kingdom sought a derogation. Quite often, we can be a bit over enthusiastic as Europeans.
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