Sarkozy admits surprise to Irish MEP over his minister's EU tax proposal

FRANCE: PRESIDENT NICOLAS Sarkozy told the Irish MEP Brian Crowley yesterday he was surprised the French finance minister, Christine Lagarde, raised the issue of a common EU corporate tax plan in Brussels on Monday.

Mr Sarkozy promised to inform his ministers of the sensitivity of the issue with regard to the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, Mr Crowley said.

Mr Crowley, the leader of the Fianna Fáil group in the European Parliament, where he is also president of the UEN (Union for the Europe of Nations) group, spent nearly an hour with Mr Sarkozy at the Élysée Palace. Their meeting was one of Mr Sarkozy's consultations in the run-up to the French presidency of the EU, which starts on July 1st.

The Irish MEP said he told the French leader that Ms Lagarde's remarks were "a major faux pas in the context of the ratification of the treaty, in the sense that this is a very sensitive issue in Ireland."

Mr Sarkozy attempted to reassure Mr Crowley, telling him: "The whole issue with regard to taxation requires unanimity, and there doesn't appear to be unanimity at council level, but the commission may still come forward with discussion documents."

The two men discussed Chad, where almost 4,000 European troops, more than half of them French, have been deployed under the command of the Irish officer, Gen Pat Nash.

There have been concerns that EUFOR will be perceived as an accomplice to French support for the Chadian dictator Idriss Déby. "We discussed there are local sensitivities," Mr Crowley said.

"But the structure of the force under Irish command would mean hopefully people wouldn't mix up the EUFOR initiative with any side in the ongoing difficulties."

Asked what Mr Sarkozy's response was, Mr Crowley replied: "He didn't disagree."

Mr Sarkozy initiated the Pact on Immigration that will be finalised under the French presidency.

Mr Crowley said he pointed out "that we can't be seen to be setting up a fortress Europe, that you have to be sensitive to areas of conflict where you may have people escaping danger zones, and there may always be a need for a certain amount of immigration for economic concerns."

On CAP reform, Mr Crowley said there is 100 per cent agreement between Ireland and France "up to 2013. After that is still open to debate."

The French president "wanted me to be aware that he was there to listen and take whatever advice I had to give between now and the end of the French presidency," Mr Crowley said.

"He saw me as an ally who could help them get some of their programme through in the parliament side of discussions."

Mr Crowley will "try and build a consensus" so the commission's package on climate change will pass on the first reading.

The package sets national targets for reducing CO2 emissions and finding renewable energy sources, and could put pressure on others to follow suit, Mr Crowley said.

Mr Crowley said the French president was "very well-briefed, short and to the point, and anxious to do business."

© 2008 The Irish Times

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