Services Directive Protest
dublin |
eu |
news report 
Tuesday February 14, 2006 16:04
by Jonah - Sinn Féin
Report of Protest at EU Commission Offices
As the EU Services Directive is debated in the European Parliament this afternoon about 20 people from Sinn Féin, the Campaign Against the EU Constitution and Labour Youth took part in a picket of the EU Commission offices on Molesworth Street.
Sinn Féin and Labour Youth banners were present and newsletters on the Services Directive were distributed while the protest was joined by a number of Sinn Féin TDs.
Under the theme of Kiss the Services Directive Goodbye a Valentine's card was handed through the small crack in the door the Gardaí would permit to be opened listing ten reasons why the Directive should be opposed.
Comments (7 of 7)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Well was there many at the protest today? Are there any photos?
Twenty people at it and pictures to come.
Have talked to Sinn Féin and SIPTU people in Strasbourg. They estimate about 50,000 people on the streets today in protest at the Directive.
A compromise hammered out by the Socialists (Labour's Group) and the People's Party (Fine Gael) is coming under increasing pressure with the right saying it gives too much to the left and the left, in the guise of United Left (Sinn Féin's Group) arguing for outright rejection of the Directive in its entirety.
The debate is taking place this afternoon and will go on into the night with the vote on Thursday morning. The only Irish speaker so far has been Fianna Fáil's Eoin Ryan speaking in favour of the Directive.
Still waiting on the bloody pictures.
Notes on debate available here: http://www.europarl.eu.int/news/expert/infopress_page/0...n.htm
So far Irish MEPs who have spoken are:
Eoin Ryan
Avril Doyle
Simon Coveney
Pronsias De Rossa
who all support the conservative - social democrat compromise and
Bairbre De Brún
who is as far as I can make out the only Irish MEP still calling for outright rejection.
The compromise deal itself is under increasing pressure with Free Market supporters arguing too much has been conceded to the left (This might include Fine Gael depending on who you're talking to) and German and French Social Democrats arguing it has conceded too much to the right and suggesting they will vote with the left bloc.
Pics finally.
Sinn Féin protestors outside the EU Commission Office
Workers sending the EU A Valentine's
Interesting to hear that MEP de Brun is calling for rejection of the Directive given that Angus O'Snodaigh was on the Vincent Browne radio show the other night saying that if the compromise amendments were adopted, SF would have to consider supporting it. I think that was his only comment. Not sure not what the position is now.
European Commissioner Charlie McCreevy, who is responsible for
the Internal Market and Services, is to address a plenary session of the National Forum On Europe next Thursday 23rd February at 11 am in Dublin Castle.
http://indymedia.ie/article/74290
Services Directive passed by 391 votes to 213. No breakdown of the votes yet in terms of who voted for or against. Pressure from the trade union movement and the left forced the Commission to water down key aspects of the Directive but there are still substantisal problems with it and handing decisionmaking power on some areas to the Court is a recipe for disaster.
As for Aengus, Sinn Féin's position on the Directive was always clear. Outright opposition. But we were also going to support progressive amendments to try and improve the Directive even if we ended up opposing it and had put ones of our own which would basically have reversed the Directive. There was no chance of them passing but we put them to make the political point.
There was never the remote possibility of us voting for the EPP - PES compromise.
Having heard that Vincent Browne show two things come to mind. Firstly, whoever researched for Browne knew sweet FA about the Directive and secondly, Aengus was repeatedly interupted while Coveney and De Rossa were allowed spout on. Aengus should have done better, but it was clear he wasn't going to be given much of a chance.
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