header parallax image
Mairead McGuinness MEP
  • HOME
  • About Mairead
    • About Mairead
    • PICTURES
    • TRANSPARENCY
  • NEWS
    • AGRICULTURE
    • BREXIT
    • CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE
    • ENVIRONMENT
    • EVENTS
    • FOOD SAFETY
    • FUTURE OF EUROPE
    • HEALTH
    • INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE
    • LATEST NEWS
    • TRADE
  • GALLERY
    • GALLERY
    • VIDEOS
  • CONTACT
  • HOME
  • About Mairead
    • About Mairead
    • PICTURES
    • TRANSPARENCY
  • NEWS
    • AGRICULTURE
    • BREXIT
    • CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE
    • ENVIRONMENT
    • EVENTS
    • FOOD SAFETY
    • FUTURE OF EUROPE
    • HEALTH
    • INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE
    • LATEST NEWS
    • TRADE
  • GALLERY
    • GALLERY
    • VIDEOS
  • CONTACT
BREXITEVENTS

Brexit Must Not Distract EU From Core Values, But Strengthen Its Resolve, Mairead McGuinness Tells European Journalists

November 4, 2016 November 10, 2016 Mairead McGuinness1352 views

MEP Calls for Greater Links Between National and European Parliaments

The EU needs to be careful that Brexit does not become the tail that wags the dog and results in the EU 27 losing focus on the major challenges and opportunities facing it, Mairead McGuinness Fine Gael MEP and Vice-President of the European Parliament warned today (Friday).

Speaking in Kilkenny at the conference of the Association of European Journalists, she said: “There is a real and present danger that the focus of EU leaders will be on the exit negotiations to the detriment of other ongoing and important work.

“While the Brexit negotiations are hugely important throwing up many complex issues which have to be addressed, they cannot distract from issues such as migration, security, growth and job creation,” McGuinness said.

“If we lose momentum in dealing with these issues on an EU-wide basis, the result will be diverging national solutions that ultimately undermine the very ideals of the EU.  We need to turn Brexit into an opportunity for the EU 27 to renew our commitment to the original ideals which arose from the ashes of two world wars.

“As we in Ireland are mindful of the fragility of peace and the importance of nurturing the Peace Process on our island, it is important that the EU recalls its fundamental and most important core value – securing peace.”

“We also need to accept that dealing with crisis situations will be the rule and not the exception in a complex world where globalisation and technology bring people closer but also divide people further.

“And despite our economic concerns the EU is, by comparison with many parts of the world, a place of prosperity and one which is attractive to many seeking refuge, whether that is from war torn regions or poverty stricken places.

“Our duty is to stand by those who flee such horrors while also protecting our external borders and tackling the root causes of irregular migration and displaced people in Africa.”  She said the EU’s Emergency Trust Fund for stability aims to address these issues and deserves support.

One positive to emerge from the UK referendum is the spotlight it has shone on the interdependence of EU member states and the reality that membership is embedded in every single aspect of our lives, communities and economy. And that for a member state to try and extract itself from that deep relationship is extremely difficult.

“The exit process is legally challenging, as the UK has discovered, politically divisive and hugely disruptive,” she said.

Commenting on the implications of Brexit for Ireland, Ms McGuinness said we have a unique relationship with the UK, one that has improved significantly due to our shared membership of the EU.

“How will that relationship be maintained when regular contact between Ministers at the EU table will cease when the UK leaves the EU and when informal contacts also end because of Brexit,” she asked.

She said the European Parliament will play an important role in the negotiations. “We will have to vote on the withdrawal agreement and that means MEPs will watch very closely each step of the process.”

The UK Supreme Court will hear an appeal of the High Court decision in December. This could delay the start of the Brexit process, she said, pushing the talks into the next European Parliament election cycle of Summer 2019, further complicating the situation.

Ms McGuinness said there is a need for stronger links between the European Parliament and National parliaments.  “This is key to removing the perceived disconnect between the EU institutions and citizens. It is no longer acceptable for national parliamentarians to criticise the EU at every opportunity.

“The EU is too often used as the whipping boy for all national ills,” she said. “It’s time to fight back and refuse to allow the visionary work of the forefathers of the EU to be dismissed in a populist wave which can only leave us all worse off, more divided, less outward looking, defensive and less idealistic.”

Mairead McGuinnessNovember 4, 2016

Categories

  • AGRICULTURE
  • BREXIT
  • CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE
  • ENVIRONMENT
  • EVENTS
  • FOOD SAFETY
  • FUTURE OF EUROPE
  • HEALTH
  • INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE
  • LATEST NEWS
  • MAIREAD
  • TIMELINE
  • TRADE
  • TRANSPARENCY
  • VIDEOS

Twitter

Tweets by MaireadMcGMEP

Facebook

Mairead McGuinness MEP

INSTAGRAM

mcguinnesseu

Vice-President of the European Parliament and MEP for the Midlands-North-West region of Ireland. Member of the EPP Group.

Press conference on the Commission's vision for fo Press conference on the Commission's vision for fostering openness, strength & resilience in Europe’s economic and financial system 🇪🇺

To strengthen Europe’s economic and financial system in a changing global context, we want:
🔵 a stronger international role of the euro
🔵 more resilient financial market infrastructures
🔵 effective implementation of EU sanctions.
College of Commissioners on Christmas Eve debriefi College of Commissioners on Christmas Eve debriefing about 🇪🇺🇬🇧 deal. 

Congratulations and thank you to @ursulavonderleyen, Michel Barnier and team.
First press conference as Commissioner this week t First press conference as Commissioner this week to launch @europeancommission strategy on non-performing loans
Many people have asked me about the impact of COVI Many people have asked me about the impact of COVID on my new role.
Congratulations President-elect @JoeBiden it was a Congratulations President-elect @JoeBiden it was a pleasure to welcome you to Co Louth 🇮🇪 in 2016, along with members of your family. I look forward to a strong EU 🇪🇺 🇺🇸 US relationship under your presidency. Congratulations @KamalaHarris 👏
.... a perch for the birds in the garden.... .... a perch for the birds in the garden....
Load More... Follow on Instagram
Copyright © 2016 Mairead McGuinness - Designed and Managed by exSite