Notes from County Meath Chamber EU '24 Election Hustings Event in the Ardboyne Hotel on 16th May
Last year Ireland celebrated 50 years of membership of the European Union - 50 years that have been marked by a radical social and economic transformation of the country. The change over these decades is best represented by staggering population growth of over 70%, dramatic increases in the value of exports from €1 billion in 1973 to €208 billion in 2022, and total GDP as a proportion of the EU27 expanding from 0.6% to 3.2%.
We’ve also weathered significant crises and experienced monumental moments in Irish history over this time. Ireland would not be where it is now without the shared vision and ambition of the bloc. Our membership of the European Union has been a constant driving force for peace, prosperity and the common good. Open collaboration and coordinated action with the 26 other Member States on social, economic and environmental issues has been pivotal in driving unprecedented progress across these areas.
Facing into the 2024 European elections, it is time to take stock of everything that has been achieved and the challenges we have faced since the last election in 2019. At that point in time the uncertainty of what form Brexit would take was still to be determined, no one could have predicted the onset of a global pandemic that would profoundly impact all levels of society, and the sustained Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought into sharp focus the importance of peace and solidarity with our Europe an neighbours and the need to accelerate our transition to renewable energy, with the overall goal of achieving energy security.
As the voice of business in Meath, County Meath Chamber is just one of 39 Chambers across Ireland, we are proudly affiliated to Chambers Ireland.
Aligning our strategic priorities with the UN’s Sustain Development Goals, our aim is to make Ireland a better place in which to live, work and do business. Chambers Ireland has been appointed as a national Sustainable Development Goals Champion as part of the 2023-2024 SDG Champions Programme. In this capacity, our role is to act as an advocate and promoter of the SDGs and to help businesses realise the opportunities these Goals create. All of our policy outputs, including our EU Election Manifesto, are aligned with our selected Sustainable Development Goals and seek to help our members address the challenges of an increasingly ‘shock prone’ world.
Looking ahead, businesses are facing many uncertainties and challenges that will require a robust, coordinated, and coherent response from our elected European representatives. Chambers across Ireland want a Europe that is open for business, and a Europe that creates jobs and growth. We call on voters and businesses to think seriously about the kind of Europe they want to be a part of and elect candidates who will represent Ireland’s interests as the Future of Europe debate evolves. The 2024 European elections are pivotal in shaping this direction and all eligible voters should ensure their voice is heard. and all eligible voters should ensure their voice is heard.
We call on the next EU parliament to focus on:
- More supports to help small firms engage in trade within the Single Market.
- A stronger focus on delivering effective policies which do not circumvent the impact-assessment processes, particularly for SMEs.
- A strategic, energy and industrial policy for Europe that can activate the untapped energy resources off Ireland’s coasts.
Our Chamber Manifesto has been compiled in collaboration with the Chamber network, to reflect the key priorities for Irish businesses as we move into the new 2024 – 2029 term of European governance.
