Childers says Irish exporters can only benefit from re-structured EU under Lisbon

Posted by Bronwen Maher on September 09, 2009 at 11:10 AM

Ireland’s exporters, the “power house of Irish prosperity” can only benefit if this country joins the other 26 European Union states in saying ‘yes’ to the Lisbon Reform Treaty.

Speaking in Rosslare, Co. Wexford today (Friday, 4^th September) at the Exports Europe Day, hosted by the Irish Exporters’ Association and Rosslare Europort, Labour MEP for Ireland East Nessa Childers said that “Ireland will sink or swim to the extent that we are successful international traders.”

“This small trading country exports over 80% of what it produces. We exported about €87 billion worth of goods in 2008 and €67 billion in services. At present, about 60% of our exports go to our partner EU states with about 35%-40% within the Eurozone.

“Since our emergence from economic isolation in the late 1950’s Ireland has consistently risen to the challenge as our market place expanded. Another exciting challenge confronts us now as great nations like China continue to emerge to compete with us. It would be wrong to see this emergence and growing economic confidence of economies such as China purely as a threat, but rather let us see it as an opportunity.

“However, this opportunity for Ireland to play its full part on the world stage can only be maximized by us being an integral part of a major trading bloc – the European Union.  And it will be even easier to do so if the EU is further reformed and restructured to allow it to be more competent and effective on the world stage. Our power house of prosperity, Ireland’s exporters and in turn Ireland’s economy can only benefit if we join the other 26 European Union states in saying ‘yes’ to the Lisbon Reform Treaty.”

Nessa Childers added, “Broadly speaking, anything that makes it easier to for you to trade successfully will contribute to our prosperity, benefitting us economically and potentially socially. The vicious cycle of high business costs, a loss of competitiveness and an economy which became more and more dependent on construction and consumer spending – an unsustainable formula in the extreme. Ireland can be hauled back into the black by cutting costs, correcting our finances and placing a renewed emphasis on policies that will have the effect of boosting our exports.”

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