Our engagement with the EU

Ireland became a member of the European Union on 1 January 1973.

Our EU membership has coincided with a radical economic and social transformation of our country.

We understand that an effective European Union is essential for us to achieve our goals, both at home and internationally.

Ireland is committed to acting as a constructive partner in Europe, working together with our fellow member states and the institutions to deliver on policy priorities for Irish citizens and citizens of the European Union as a whole.

For you:

• As an Irish citizen, you can move freely between EU countries either for work or pleasure
• If you’re a small business owner, you can access 500 million consumers in the Single Market
• As an Irish graduate, your qualifications can be fully recognised in 28 other countries
• You can play your part in developing EU policies through the European Citizen’s Initiative, by calling on the European Commission to make a legislative proposal.

For Ireland:

• Our membership of the EU gives us a stronger voice on the world stage
• EU policies across many areas, such as the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), Structural and Cohesion Funds and the Single Market, help to improve the lives of people in Ireland and all across Europe.

For everyone:

• The EU is the largest donor of development aid in the world
• It has been a leading advocate for greater action on climate change.

Our Ministers, government officials and elected representatives at the European Parliament and the Oireachtas are involved in representing Ireland and our interests in the EU.

They work primarily through the EU’s Institutions to raise Ireland’s concerns with our partners and to influence EU policy.

The Council of the European Union is made up of Ministers from the Member States who come together to make decisions on legislation and policy. There are 10 different Council formations for different policy areas, eg General Affairs Council, Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council and Foreign Affairs Council.

Irish Government ministers regularly meet with their counterparts in the Council of the European Union (the Council of Ministers) to discuss policy developments in the Union and to help shape a response.

The European Council is made up of the heads of Member State governments, who meet to guide the work of the EU.

The European Council usually meets between four and six times a year and you can see its conclusions online. Since the Lisbon Treaty, the European Council has a full-time President who chairs its meetings.

The Taoiseach meets with Heads of Government from the other 27 member states in the European Council to guide the EU’s upcoming work.

The Department of the Taoiseach is responsible for managing Ireland’s relationship with the EU. They work with us in the Department of Foreign Affairs, our network of Embassies and our Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels.

The Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, Thomas Byrne, is responsible for dealing with EU issues and supports both the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs in their work

Our Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels represents Ireland’s interests in the EU on a day-to-day basis. It brings together civil servants from nearly every Irish government department, making it Ireland’s biggest diplomatic mission abroad.

The European Parliament is made up of directly-elected MEPs from all Member States who help create policy and make decisions in co-operation with the Council of the EU. Ireland is represented by 12 MEPs from four constituencies whose five-year term runs until 2028.

There are 12 MEPs representing Ireland at the European Parliament. They are responsible for ensuring that the Irish people’s concerns are taken into account when formulating EU policy. The European Parliament plays a bigger role in EU affairs since the Lisbon Treaty.

The Court of Justice of the EU makes sure that EU legislation is correctly applied and respected by member states. It has one judge from each member state. It is assisted by the General Court as the number of cases can prove too large for the Court of Justice alone.

The European Central Bank manages the Euro currency and monetary policy for the eurozone. The governor of the Central Bank of Ireland sits on the Governing Council of the ECB.

The European Court of Auditors was established in 1975 in Luxembourg to audit the accounts of EU institutions. The Court is composed of one member from each EU member state.

The European Affairs Committee of the Oireachtas (the Irish parliament) plays a key role in informing debate on the European Union in Ireland by:

• Considering important EU developments and initiatives that affect Ireland
• Ensuring that EU legislation and proposals are properly studied
• Holding the Government to account in Ireland’s relations with Europe.

The Committee also regularly engages with EU institutions to monitor and influence the political and strategic direction of the Union as a whole.