Lisbon Vote is D-Day for Irish farmers

Press Release by Farmers for NO
Statement by James Reynolds, chairman of 'Farmers for No'.

'Friday will be D-Day for farm families and the rural community in Ireland.

'Government research found that 48 per cent of farmers voted No to Lisbon last year, Farmers for No calls on each on every member of the rural community to come out on Friday and vote no again.

'Vote No to protect your economic self-interest.

'The Irish TImes explanation on LIsbon today said : THE LISBON Treaty increases the areas that decisions are made in the Council of Ministers via qualified majority voting (QMV) rather than requiring a unanimous decision supported by all 27 EU member states."

'It is clear that Ireland will weaken its negotiatiing position by halfing its vote at the EU Council of Ministers or by handing away vetos at the same Council.
Ireland is currently at the political heart of the EU, because we are important - they need us. Once we vote Yes, we immediately become an irrelevance - as eaten bread in quickly forgotten. We cannot improve our economy by halving our vote.

'During the Pat Kenny show yesterday, Pat Rabitte misled people about Labour position on Turkish accession. At the Forum for Europe in November 2006, the three main parties all pledged support for Turkish accession as part of their policy positions.
It is clear Ireland's politicians will not veto Turkish accession - it is up to the people to do so.

'Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president last June said, "No Lisbon [Treaty], no enlargement,". He added that "the Nice Treaty limited the EU to a membership of 27 states."

'Like Sarkozy and Merkel, Farmers for No say that Lisbon is a prerequisite for enlargement. If we vote No to Lisbon, enlargement cannot take place; Turkey cannot enter the EU. A yes to Lisbon allows Turkey in the garden gate, even if a further vote is needed on their specific accession to to allow them in the EU front door. Most people don't know that in July 2009 another chapter of the accession negotiations, the 11th out of 35, was opened.

'Voting Yes and allowing potential Turkish entry to the EU would be an act of economic suicide for Ireland.
First the high number of Turkish farmers would sink CAP payments as we know them.
Secondly the free movement of 75 million people from Turkey around the EU would put huge strain on the labour market.
If Nice brought in half a million economic migrants during a boom, then Lisbon could help bring in half a million migrants at a time of recession. To allow this to happen would be an act of economic suicide.
' I ask people to vote No to Lisbon and protect CAP payments and the balance of the Irish labour market.
Frits Bolkestein, the internal market commissioner in 2004:
"After Turkish entry the EU will simply be unable to sustain its current agricultural and regional policy. Europe would implode." Farmers for No agree with this assessment, that along with the need to hold onto our WTO veto, threatened by art 207 of Lisbon is why we call for a No vote.'
ends