A terrorist nuclear detonation in a western city would destroy all economic confidence.
John Bruton

But our system of regulation must keep up with this. If it fails to keep up, it will hold back economic expansion. We need financial market regulation that works at national and European level.
John Bruton

European investment in Texas alone exceeds all U.S. investment in China and Japan put together.
John Bruton

Financial service providers act as the lubricating oil in the economy. They link consumers who want to invest their savings for a good return with companies who want to borrow on best terms for expansion.
John Bruton

If the EU and the US can cooperate successfully on regulating financial markets, everyone else will follow.
John Bruton

Indeed, American companies make three times as much profits from their investment in one E.U. country, Ireland, than they do from all their investments in China.
John Bruton

Ireland has a role to play in making the E.U. united and strong.
John Bruton

It is not viable for one country to demand a right to increase and upgrade its nuclear weapons capabilities while asking others to eliminate theirs.
John Bruton

Non-proliferation will only work if all states are willing to cooperate, and that will only happen if all feel they are being treated fairly.
John Bruton

Of course the EU and member states must work to ensure that people moving from one country to another understand their obligations and their rights in areas like health, road safety and further education.
John Bruton


One cannot have economic growth without security.
John Bruton

Proliferation of nuclear weapons to terrorist organisations is far more dangerous than proliferation of nuclear weapons to states, even states like North Korea.
John Bruton

Since creation of the E.U. a half century ago, Europe has enjoyed the longest period of peace in its history.
John Bruton

States can be deterred by the fear of retaliation; non-state organisations cannot by deterred at all.
John Bruton

That's where my job comes in. Getting the E.U. and U.S. to agree.
John Bruton

The E.U. has moved to combat global terrorism by instituting common European arrest and evidence warrants and creating a joint situation center to pool and analyze intelligence.
John Bruton

The E.U. imports more agricultural goods from developing countries around the world than does the U.S., Canada and Japan, combined.
John Bruton

The E.U. is more than just a trade organization or a common market; it is a guarantee of democracy, freedom, justice, and human rights. Nations cannot stay in the E.U. if they do not respect these guarantees.
John Bruton

The E.U. is the world's fastest growing democratic body.
John Bruton

The economy is not an abstraction. The economy consists of people, and it will only grow if people feel secure and are reasonably free.
John Bruton