Vol. 421 No. 1
56 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, in the case of the Maastricht Treaty being ratified, he will outline the power which would be given to the Irish people to influence EC energy policy, particularly in relation to nuclear energy policy; the way in which the unanimity rule will affect this power; and if he will further outline the way in which the common policies affect this power, given the fact that energy is excluded.
The only specific provision on energy in the Treaty on European Union is the Declaration on Civil Protection, Energy and Tourism attached to the Treaty which provides that the question of including a specific Treaty provision on energy will be examined on the basis of a report which the Commission will submit to the Council by 1996 at the latest.
Energy is also referred to in the Treaty chapter on Trans-European Networks. Article 129 allows the Community to contribute to the establishment of energy infrastructure networks. The Council of Ministers and the European Parliament will be involved in the preparation of guidelines and programmes in this area and the Irish people will be able to influence policy through the Government and through their MEPs.
No substantive change is made in the operating provisions of the EURATOM Treaty and thus voting procedures are unchanged. However, because EURATOM shares its institutions with the EEC, changes in the institutional provisions of the EEC Treaty are applied also in the EURATOM Treaty through title IV of the European Union Treaty.
These provisions provide greater power for the European Parliament and thus greater facility for the citizens to influence decisions. For example, as in the case of actions under the EEC Treaty individual citizens will be able to petition the European Parliament and take up grievances with the Community Ombudsman. The Parliament will be able to set up committees of inquiry. Other significant institutional changes introduced in line with similar changes in the EEC Treaty include increased powers for the Court of Justice to enforce its decisions in areas covered by EURATOM.
