The E(You) Parliament

By Eanna Kelly

Irish citizens have but a faint grasp on the workings of the EU Parliament. When conversing with my friends on the subject, the focal point was not on what the achievements of the Parliament have been but, rather, there was the familiar fixation with the already-maligned technical terminology that the heads of the EU often employ. The Lisbon Treaty was a disorientating exercise of information and misinformation that breathed apathy into the mindset of the majority of the electorate. I was unsurprised that the ‘No’ vote passed but nevertheless wish to argue that Strasbourg, although geographically remote, should never be seen as extraneous from the viewpoint of the ordinary Irish man.

Decisions made in the EU Parliament directly impact upon Irish people. MEPs have instituted mobile phone price ceilings meaning that roaming charges will not exceed EUR 0.43 per minute for outgoing calls and EUR 0.19 per minute for incoming calls. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) inspire factious debate amongst European consumers: strict labeling laws actuated by the Parliament empowers an Irish person to make an informed decision when purchasing food. Parliament has set down acceptable parameters on the issue of the standard of water meaning that now, in Ireland, our water is cleaner and safer.

The aforementioned ‘limits of accessibility’ argument, I think, is the easy option for Irish people. Contacting your Irish MEPs is a simple procedure: addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of every M.E.P can be found under their respective M.E.P profiles on the Parliament website. (http://www.europarl.europa.eu/) The Parliament remains our representative body: we can affect outcomes. In 1998 two petitions were presented to the European Parliament that underlined the negative health effects of silicone breast implant. After a study directed by the Parliament, the Commission tightened the provision on information for patients. The affliction of worry over safety and quality has been eased for Irish women considerably.

This report is intended as as reasoned overview of the European Parliament's work. Our ‘four freedoms’ (free movement of persons/capital/services/goods) are long established but the issues facing European citizens remain challenging and ever evolving. The European Gender Institute inaugurated in 2007 and was set up by the Parliament. It monitors matters of treatment of women and combats all forms of violence against women. These issues remain real and frightening and demand our attention. To paraphrase Eoin Ryan, the incumbent Fianna Fail MEP for Dublin who was speaking at a press conference on May 1st- whether a person votes or not, someone is going to win. We can face situations in Europe similarly: either we want a say in matters or we don’t.