Dear Editor,
When the European Union was founded 50 years ago, a common trading market was put in place. Under the Single European Act 1987, the go-ahead for the internal market, where there would be a system of free movement of goods, services, people and capital in Europe, was initiated. The central element of the Maastricht treaty was the birth of the single European currency, which has brought so many benefits to businesses and to citizens alike.

While clearly closer economic co-operation and economic integration in Europe is now a reality, the EU has at all times sought to effectively promote different cultural, linguistic and national diversities within Europe.

The European Union uses every opportunity to financially support programmes which help lesser used and regional languages within the EU. The 25 member state Governments of the EU in the autumn 2004 unanimously approved the proposal by the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern that the Irish language would become an official working language of the institutions of the European Union.

The European Union has put aside €400 million under the Culture 2007 programme to encourage more co-operation and a better understanding of the different cultures in Europe. The EU runs a very successful European Capitals of Culture programme and this year is the European Year of Inter-Cultural Dialogue. The European Committee of the Regions represents all the different regions of the 27 member states of the European Union, including from the most peripheral parts of the European Union.

One of the clear strengths of the European Union is our clear respect for the different cultural diversities, which exist all over Europe.

We must always remember that the European Union only has the powers to act in policy areas given to it under the different EU treaties. I strongly believe that the provisions of the EU Lisbon Reform treaty strikes the right balance between the powers given to the different EU member states and the powers given to the EU institutions.

Sean O Neachtain MEP,
An Spidéal,
Co na Gaillimhe

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