Vol. 412 No. 3
35 Dr. G. FitzGerald asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on whether the work of the European Parliament should be concentrated in one site; and, if so, if he will outline which of three sites now in use should be chosen.
62 Mr. Harte asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on whether the work of the European Parliament should be concentrated in one site; and, if so, if he will outline which of three sites now in use should be chosen.
63 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on whether the work of the European Parliament should be concentrated in one site; and, if so, if he will outline which of three sites now in use should be chosen.
104 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on whether the work of the European Parliament should be concentrated in one site; and, if so, if he will outline which of three sites now in use should be chosen.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 35, 62, 63 and 104 together, as they have all been put down in identical terms.
I would recall that the European Council agreed in 1981 that the provisional places of work of the Community institutions would remain unchanged. Efforts since then, including some in recent years, to resolve the issue of the permanent location of the various institutions on the basis of a package deal acceptable to all member states have not so far proved successful. The problem is now a complex one, involving also the location of the new institutions and agencies, and I see little prospect of an immediate resolution. Accordingly we accept the continuation of the existing situation — as we must in the absence of the unanimous agreement of member states which would be necessary for change. This means that Parliament will continue to hold its plenary sessions in Strasbourg and committee meetings in Brussels, while the Secretariat will continue to be based in Luxembourg.
