A EUROPEAN organisation for veterans was launched in Dublin yesterday by the Organisation of National Ex Servicemen and Women (ONE) and the Royal British Legion.
The association, to be known as Veterans in Europe (VIE), was set up to represent the interests of veterans in the EU in pension rights, retraining, disability, employment rights and similar issues.
VIE will now contact veterans' organisations in other countries - with a view to their joining the association. Mr Pat Dunleavy spokesman for ONE, said its constitution had been accepted by the European Commission, and the association was expected to be fully representative of veterans in Europe by the end of the year.
The European Commission has already indicated that it can work with such an organisation on the welfare of veterans, he said. The body was launched in Ireland because Ireland now holds the EU Presidency.
Launching the association, Mr Jim Higgins, junior minister for Defence, gave a special welcome to the visitors from the Royal British Legion, "as representatives of a people with whom, despite many past prejudices and perceived antipathies, we have far more in common than most other nationalities".
