8 Mr. Quinn asked the Taoiseach if he has any plans to visit or meet with the Prime Ministers of the countries which are applicant members of the European Community prior to the Edinburgh Council in December of this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Plans for any formal visits or meetings will, in accordance with the established practice, be publicly announced by both sides shortly in advance of the event. I have already met the Prime Minister of Sweden at the recent UN Conference in Rio and will be meeting some of the other Prime Ministers concerned at the CSCE Summit which I will be attending in Helsinki later this week. These meetings are, of course, useful in permitting each side to clarify their position and advance their interests and I intend to avail of such opportunities to the extent that time and other commitments allow.
Whereas I can understand the reasons for the Taoiseach not giving details at this stage, may I take it from what the Taoiseach is saying that he is supportive of enlargement of the Community and that any opportunity that arises will involve detailed discussions with his European counterparts in relation to the enlargement question?
The Deputy should take it that I am in full support of the enlargement of the Community and that negotiations will take place on the individual applications only after the Delors II package is agreed.
May I ask the Taoiseach if his meetings with applicants in the enlargement process include all the applicants or are applicants being dealt with individually and, specifically, does he propose a meeting, for example, in connection with the Cyprus application?
They are being looked at in two separate categories but of course individual applicants will have their negotiations carried out on an individual basis. The four EFTA countries are being looked at in one category and the other three, Turkey, Malta and Cyprus, are being looked at in a slightly different category.
Would the Taoiseach not agree that it would be unsatisfactory to have a substantial enlargement of the Community unless there is, in addition to the Delors II package, a commitment to automatic transfers to weaker states in the Community? One should not have to live on a five-year to five-year basis with various packages being negotiated, for example, Delors I, Delors II, Delors III, Delors IV, etc. This would mean we would not know beyond a few years ahead whether certain funds were available. There should be an automatic Treaty guaranteed system of transfer rather than reliance on political packages such as the Delors II package.
I agree with Deputy Bruton that that would be a more desirable system. However, we have to deal with what flows from the Maastricht Treaty and the Commission proposals in relation to the Delors II package. Of course, it would be more desirable to have formal transfers from the richer to the poorer countries but that was not part of the agreement reached at Maastricht or part of the negotiations which are now taking place.
Is it not the case that enlargement of the Community will involve an amendment to the Treaty and would it be possible for the Taoiseach to propose, as a precondition to his agreement to enlargement, that that Treaty amendment would, in addition to providing for enlargement, also provide for automaticity of financial transfers?
The admission of the seven applicant countries will give rise to a new situation. The four EFTA countries will bring in an additional contribution of approximately six billion ECUs to the Community's budget. No negotiations will take place on this issue until the Delors II package has been completed. This is what we will have to deal with in the short to medium-term. As I said, the admission of the seven applicant countries will give rise to a new situation. We will certainly see what can be done to improve the transfer of funds at that stage.
Did the Taoiseach say that the net contribution would increase by six billion ECUs if the seven applicant countries joined the EC?
The four EFTA countries will contribute approximately six billion ECUs.
If the other three countries are net beneficiaries they will bring down the contribution.
I am talking about the six billion ECUs which will be contributed by the EFTA countries; I am not talking about Turkey, Cyprus and Malta. I do not know the position in regard to those countries.
As they would be net beneficiaries they would more than eat up that money.
We seem to be dwelling overlong on this question. A final question from Deputy Michael D. Higgins.
May I ask the Taoiseach if it is not the case that on his most recent visit the Foreign Minister of Cyprus confirmed that his Government would be net contributors?
I understand that is what he said. I do not have the details to confirm what the position will be.
The only thing they have is new potatoes.
Question No. 9 in the name of Deputy Quinn has been postponed.
