Ireland
LISBETH KIRK
28.10.2003 @ 16:56 CET
EUOBSERVER / REFERENDUM - Ireland will definitely have a referendum on the European Constitution. According to the Irish Constitution, Article 46, the government is required to put any issue to a referendum if it will alter the Constitution.
Art 46.2 states: "Every proposal for an amendment of this Constitution shall be initiated in Dáil Éireann as a Bill, and shall upon having been passed or deemed to have been passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas, be submitted by Referendum to the decision of the people in accordance with the law for the time being in force relating to the Referendum".
Ireland has had a referendum on every major European Treaty or Act starting in 1987 with the Single European Act. It also voted on the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 (which paved the way to the Euro), the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1998 and the Treaty of Nice.
On the last treaty, Ireland caused a furore in the EU by rejecting it the first time round in June 2001. It then voted on the same Treaty again the following year in October - and voted in favour.
Ireland's surprise rejection of the Nice Treaty, however, was responsible for really opening the debate on what to do if a small country holds up implementation of a treaty for the rest of the EU.
