EU intervention in Irish referendum 'unlawful'

The European Commission has been accused of "unlawful" interference in Ireland's referendum after paying for a 16-page guide to the Lisbon Treaty to be inserted into national newspapers.

By Bruno Waterfield in Brussels
Published: 7:00AM BST 29 Sep 2009

Campaigners for a "No" vote have threatened a legal challenge after 1.1 million copies of the European Union booklet were distributed, at a cost to the taxpayer of £139,000.

The guide gives a summary of European Union's achievements before outlining how the Lisbon Treaty would help improve life in Ireland further.

It reads: "Today, members of the EU enjoy a wealth of benefits: a free market with a currency that makes trade easier and more efficient, the creation of millions of jobs, improved workers' rights, free movement of people and a cleaner environment.

"These are major goals. The Lisbon Treaty is designed to give the EU the tools to achieve them."

The European Commission has defended its actions by claiming the pamphlet is designed to simply inform voters.

"The commission has a duty to inform people about the treaties. The guide does not advocate a Yes or a No. It is information not campaigning," said a spokesman.

But The Daily Telegraph has learnt that the legal services of both the commission and the Council of the EU, which represents governments, expressed reservations the publication of the "citizens summary" of the Lisbon Treaty.

An EU official said: “The lawyers asked if it was right for the commission to produce a summary of Lisbon, before it was ratified and when there was not one for the Constitution.

“The reluctance of some countries, particularly France and Netherlands where the Constitution was rejected, needed to be overcome too because of the similarities between the two texts.â€