asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs in relation to the proposals or memoranda which might lead to EEC Council of Ministers' decisions submitted to the Council and with which his Department is to be supplied pursuant to the agreed consultation procedure, which categories of such documents are (a) confidential, (b) published for limited distribution, (c) published for general distribution, (d) published in the official journal of the Community and (e) published in English.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - EEC Documents.
6.
The classifications referred to by the Deputy are not used in the Community. The criterion for publication of commission proposals in the Official Journal is whether the European Parliament or the Economic and Social Committee is to be consulted. Proposals other than those published in the journal are regarded as internal documents and are not made public. Proposals which are necessarily regarded as confidential include, for example, Community negotiating positions to be adopted in trade talks with non-member countries.
It is intended that English versions of proposals and communications from the commission to the council be prepared by the commission from about October next.