President van het EESC Mario Sepi over de uitkomst van het Ierse referendum (en)

Following the Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, EESC president, Mario Sepi, warmly welcomed its positive outcome. "This vote clearly demonstrates that the Irish people want their country to remain at the heart of Europe", he said, adding: "The majority of the Irish people have fully understood that, with the Lisbon Treaty, the European Union will be more open, more democratic, more transparent and better equipped to meet the challenges facing it, such as the financial and economic crisis, globalisation and the future of the European social model, climate change and energy issues."

"Civil society organisations have played a very important part in the referendum campaign and in giving to the debate a truly European dimension, which sets an example for the whole of Europe" Mario Sepi stressed. In that context, he recalled that "the Lisbon treaty will indeed provide civil society with new tools to strengthen further civic participation in the democratic life of the European Union and the role of the social partners".

The Committee will be the first European institution , after the referendum, to hold a discussion around the political perspectives of the new Treaty's implementation, on the occasion of its extraordinary Bureau which will take place on 8 October in Brussels.

Mario Sepi concluded by stating his confidence that the Lisbon Treaty will now be ratified by all 27 Member States by the end of the year.