Our World in 2018

its membership of the EU and play
an even stronger role in shaping the
future of Europe.
That is why I have started a
national civic dialogue about the
Future of Europe in Ireland. We
want as many people as possible
throughout the country to have
their say on Europe, good, bad or
.
We need to hear what Europe is
doing well and where it can improve.
Ireland can lead on many of the social
issues, we can lead on areas that will
provide further opportunities for our
young people like the completion of
the digital single market, the single
market, the banking union, and we
can play an active role in areas such
as security and defence and climate
change.
We want to hear the views
of our citizens, who are
generally positive about
the EU. And while we’re probably one
of the most pro-European countries
in the EU it does not mean we should
be complacent. This is an opportune
time to try and solidify support for
the EU and its institutions and it is a
chance to develop an understanding
of what the EU does and how it
works.
I am looking forward to continuing
this extremely important dialogue
and feeding the views of the public
into the government agenda. We will
EUROPE’S FUTURE
be concluding the first part of our
citizens’ dialogue on the 9th May
next year on Europe Day.
Europe has given Ireland so
much over the last 45 years of our
membership. We no longer feel like
an outlier in Europe, we are a vibrant,
modern and open nation and we
must ensure other countries are
given the opportunity to develop and
prosper too.
The debate around the future
of Europe from an Irish context is
as important as Brexit; however,
the future of Europe is not Brexit,
it will become what our citizens
determine. That is why engagement
and dialogue is crucial for the Future
of Europe.
TIE. © European Union , 2017 / Source: EC - Audiovisual Service / Photo: Mauro Bottaro
OUR WORLD | 2018
19