madam president the forthcoming summit has many serious issues to deal with not least a coordinated eu-wide response to the global challenge of the serious economic downturn
this comes on the back of a major crisis of confidence in our banking systems due to their failure to sustain the acceptable level of liquidity required to underpin day-to-day commercial and industrial business operations in all our member states
so millions of viable jobs and thousands of solid businesses are in danger of going under as we speak
yes we must mobilise all european institutions to respond to the crisis and as the commission's recovery plan says this crisis occurs on the eve of a major structural shift towards the low-carbon economy with major new economic opportunities and indeed serious first-mover advantages
this brings me to the summit discussion on the climate and energy package on which we will have a long discussion tomorrow so i will limit myself to just one point
that is to underscore the importance of full respect for the codecision process between council and parliament to emphasise that any political agreement on outstanding issues issues between square brackets discussed and decided on by heads of state and government at the summit will have to be presented as compromise amendments to subsequent trialogues by the ever hard-working french presidency and may or may not be agreed by the parliament
we will sign off and while i fully support the objective of first-reading agreement please be warned that it will not be at any price
now to the treaty of lisbon item
yes we have had time to digest and analyse the twelve june vote but no minister jouyet we will not and should not even attempt to ratify again at the beginning of next year or we risk failure again with our deeply unpopular government
do not hold your breath in expecting our taoiseach's road map that is if you get one to announce a date for a referendum
i have sat and listened here today to cynical lectures from sinn féin on the risk of militarisation lurking in the treaty of lisbon's small print and to mr allister's concerns for the irish electorate more examples of the level of intellectual dishonesty to which the irish electorate is subject
yet there is a constituency of genuine concern
i thank the french presidency for its offer of all assistance with legal guarantees and any assurances that may be required
i thank all members and you madam president for your understanding as we continue to trespass on your patience
