It included groups who had campaigned for and against the Nice Treaty and social partner organisations like IBEC, Irish Congress of Trade Unions and European Anti Poverty Network.
A number of organisations made presentations and submissions, such as the Irish Farmers Association, National Platform, People's Movement, Institute for European Affairs, Peace and Neutrality Alliance, Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC), Union representatives, and the representatives of the main churches in Ireland.
[2] After the rejection by the people of France and the Netherlands, the forum or government did not support a referendum on the EU Constitution.
A proposal in the Forum from the European Anti Poverty Network that there should be a cross-cutting clause requiring all EU institutions to take account of social inclusion in al policies was taken up by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and, on the proposal of the Irish Government, became part of the Constitution and subsequently the Lisbon Treaty.
In April 2009 the forum was closed by a taoiseach Brian Cowen,[3] the decision was controversial and condemned by a variety of groups, particularly those who campaigned against the Lisbon treaty, such as the Peoples Movement,[4] The Workers Party,[5] and others such as the European Anti Poverty Network[6] which saw it as a useful forum for debate on European issues not confined to referendums.