The ratification of the Lisbon Treaty will ensure that Ireland will retain the right to appoint a member of the European Commission at all times into the future



Pat the Cope Gallagher MEP today said the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty will ensure that Ireland will retain the right to appoint one member to the European Commission at all times into the future.



Pat the Cope Gallagher, MEP for the North and West continued - the clear reality is that many people were concerned during the referendum campaign of last year that Ireland would only retain the right to appoint one member to the European Commission for only ten out of every fifteen years.



EU leaders at their summit meeting in December 2008 agreed that if the Lisbon Treaty is enacted, that all member states of the EU could permanently appoint one member to the European Commission and that the original system of rotating appointments to the European Commission would be done away with.



The European Commission is a very important political institution in Europe. It controls Competition Policy, the Common Agricultural Policy, Common Fisheries Policy and the Common Transport Policy.



People were concerned about this specific issue at the time of the last referendum and the Irish Government has now ensured that it has addressed this concern by now guaranteeing an appointment at all times to the European Commission into the future.?



September 8th 2009.



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