Vol. 407 No. 9
13 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach his views on whether, in the context of the current Inter-Governmental Conference, consideration should be given to establishment of a bicameral system in the European Parliament, where the Upper House would be provided by either (1) a body directly elected by the people of member states as in the United States, (2) the Council of Ministers, or (3) some other indirectly elected body; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
As I indicated last week in the House in reply to questions, I am not particularly enamoured of this idea. Indeed, it is significant that so far as I am aware it has not even been mentioned, let alone formally tabled, in the Inter-Governmental Conference by any of our EC partners or the Commission.
If the European Parliament is to acquire enhanced powers and, given that smaller countries such as Ireland have proportionately less representation in the parliament than we have at the Council of Ministers, there will be a need to have some balancing institution which would represent the interests of states on an equal basis, as is provided by the US Senate in accordance with the United States federal constitution.
At this stage I am wary of the evolution of the Community towards giving more powers to the European Parliament particularly because of our situation as a small member state with very minuscule representation in the European Parliament, whatever the calibre of that representation may be. In so far as the interests of the smaller member states are concerned, they are more adequately protected by the fact that in the European Councils each member state has equal status. Of course, the Commission has a special role to cater for the interests of the smaller member states in many ways.
Would the Taoiseach agree that he is virtually alone among European leaders in taking the view that the powers of the European Parliament should not be enhanced? Is the Taoiseach further aware that the German Chancellor stated he would not be prepared to agree to economic and monetary union and European political union unless the powers of the European Parliament are enhanced?
There are widely differing views about this throughout the Community. I am not alone in looking at any major accretion of powers to the European Parliament with some disquiet. There is fairly general agreement on a number of improvements in the capacity of the European Parliament in economic and monetary union and in political union. Basically, the position of the smaller member states can best be protected through the Commission and through the equal status we have in the different Councils. I know the German Chancellor has a pretty strong view about the power of the European Parliament and he is perfectly entitled to that but his strong views in that regard are not widely shared throughout the Community at this stage.
