Tuesday, May 30, 2006

EU decide Ireland acted illegally by complaining about Sellafield

It looks like Ireland is no longer a sovereign nation able to argue its case on the international stage as an equal member of the United Nations. The reason? We are members of the EU as well as the UN and the EU doesn't like it when member states get pissed at each other.

In this case we were bold little children and complained to the UN that the United Kingdom would not close Sellafield, a plant that is poisoning the Irish Sea for decades. Strangely radioactive waste doesn't respect territorial waters so what BNFL throw into the Irish sea in Wales has a tendency to wash up along the Irish coast line.

The EU took offense at this. No, not at the complete disregard for the safety of Irish citizens. Instead the EU objected to the Irish for snitching to the UN and trying to get the English to shut down Sellafield. The EU likes to keep things within the family and like good family members they know how to deal with those who look outside the family for help. Now the issue will have to be dealt with in the appropriate endless committee meetings and European Court meetings. With Tony Blair planning to build more nuclear reactors we know how much impact the risk of EU action is having.
In its judgment the court said Ireland's concerns about the marine environment around Sellafield should have been addressed within the EU and not by turning to an external body.

It says only the European Court of Justice has the right to resolve a dispute between member states about an interpretation of EU law.

Minister Dick Roche says that this has now clarified the jurisdiction of the European Court and Ireland will now contest the continuing operation of Sellafield through this channel.

I seem to have missed the referendum where we gave up our independence and agreed to let some faceless, nameless, unelected Eurocrat decide how, where and when we represent ourselves on the international stage. If Minister Roche had any balls he'd tell the EU where to stick it's jurisdiction.

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