26/08/2009

Farmer Launches Anti-Lisbon Campaign

A former famers' union chairman has launched a campaign along with other disgruntled farmers to oppose the upcoming second Lisbon Treaty Referendum.

County Chairman and current Secretary of the Ballinalee Branch of the Irish Farmers Association (IFA), James Reynolds, is heading up the Farmers For No campaign, which was launched last week.

The group is linked to growing concerns among some members of the farming community that the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty could decimate the farming industry here.

They also claim the treaty will affect inheritance laws to the detriment of the sector.

However, European Fianna Fail minister Brian Crowley has rubbished the group's claims, saying some of its grievances with the Lisbon Treaty were "baseless".

"Claims by the Farmers for No group that the Lisbon Treaty will affect Irish inheritance laws is a baseless allegation that has no foundation under the terms of the the Lisbon Treaty - The Lisbon Treaty does not give the EU any power whatsoever to introduce laws which could change Irish succession laws," Mr Crowely said.

The MEP added that the Lisbon Treaty does not give any new powers whatsoever to the European Commission, the European Parliament or to the European Council to bring forward laws that could affect or change Irish inheritance laws.

The European minister added that Inheritance laws are a matter for each of the 27 different national member states of the European Union to deal with in accordance with their own specific national laws.

(DW/BMcC)

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