Taoiseach Enda Kenny is to hold talks with British Prime Minister David Cameron in early June on Britain's plans to renegotiate its relationship with the European Union.
Speaking in Riga this morning, Minister for European Affairs Dara Murphy said that Ireland was looking forward to engaging with Britain on its renegotiation agenda.
“We very much look forward to getting the process under way now, of listening to see what David Cameron and the British government feel they need to achieve, and then working with them to see to what extent we can be supportive in that regard.”
In some of the strongest comments yet by an Irish Government minister on potential common ground between Ireland and Britain in the forthcoming EU renegotiation talks, Minister Murphy said that much of what Britain was suggesting was positive.
"Much of what's being suggested and proposed to date by David Cameron would be to the advantage of all of the people of the European Union , particularly in the space of regulation and growth, so we are very optimistic that the UK will remain, as it should be, at the very very heart of decision-making in Europe. "
Minister Murphy, who is representing Ireland at the fourth Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga, said that there was a strong awareness across Europe that the UK is “one of the largest, most powerful, most influential countries in Europe not just in the European Union.”
"We believe that it's in the best interest of the European Union, of all 28 member states, and certainly for our country of Ireland but also for the United Kingdom, that we retain 28 member states."
British Prime Minister David Cameron is meeting EU leaders for the first time since his decisive victory in the British general election two weeks ago. Arriving at the summit this morning, the British Prime Minister said he would start discussions about reform of the European Union today, but warned that there would “be lots of ups and downs” ahead.
“There will be lots of noise, lots of ups and downs along the way... you’ll hear one day this is possible, the next day something else is possible,” Mr Cameron said. “One thing throughout all of this will be constant and that will be my determination to deliver for the British people the reform of the European Union so that they’ll get a proper choice in that referendum we’ll hold before the end of 2017.”
The formation of a majority Conservative Party government in Britain has pushed the issue of Britain’s proposed renegotiation with the European Union to the top of the EU agenda, with suggestions that Britain might hold the referendum late next year.
A key issue for Britain is whether it can achieve the changes it wants without a change in the EU treaties. Asked if Ireland would be prepared to consider re-opening the EU treaties - a move that would necessitate a referendum in Ireland - Minister Murphy said this morning that it was too early to say. “We still haven’t seen any proposals to see if that would be required or not.”
Leaders arriving in Riga this morning struck an upbeat note about the possibility of reaching a reform deal with Britain. Finnish Prime Minister Alex Stubb said he was confident of a deal.
"Finland is very much in favour of the pro-reform agenda that David Cameron drives. We believe in free trade, we believe in better and less regulation and we believe in deepening the internal market," the outgoing prime minister said.
While the possibility of some kind of declaration exempting Britain from the EU’s policy of pursuing “ever-closer union” would be “fine” according to Mr Stubb, treaty change “might be a little bit more difficult.”
However he said that there was “no point in putting down red lines.
“Europe is by definition a compromise and I’m sure we’ll find some kind of compromise that is good for Britain and good for Europe.”
The Prime Minister of Estonia, Taavi Roivas, said he too was confident of reaching a compromise with Britain, but warned that changes to EU free movement rules were not negotiable.
Estonia is one of a number of Eastern European countries whose citizens have benefited from EU free movement rules, and are staunchly opposed to any curtailment of the EU principle of free movement.
“When it comes to David Cameron’s proposals, I personally am open to discuss them. I wouldn’t roll back the basic freedoms of the EU, freedom of movement being one of them, but saying no to all ideas of changes, that would be wrong as well.”
