Written Answers. - European Community Enlargement.
Phil Hogan
Question:
23
Mr. Hogan
asked the
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs
the institutional changes that are anticipated as a result of the enlargement of the European Community, and as part of the decision made at the Lisbon Summit in respect of EC institutional reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Desmond J. O'Malley
Question:
43
Mr. O'Malley
asked the
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs
if he will make a statement about the outcome of recent EC negotiations in relation to the rights of smaller states in view of an expanded Community; the position Ireland has adopted on these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Pat Cox
Question:
48
Mr. Cox
asked the
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs
if he will make a statement about the outcome of recent EC negotiations in relation to the rights of smaller states in the context of an expanded Community; the position Ireland has adopted on these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 23, 43 and 48 together.
The Lisbon European Council in June 1992 concluded that the current round of enlargement to include Austria, Sweden, Finland and Norway was possible on the basis of the institutional provisions contained in the Treaty on European Union and attached declarations. This position was confirmed both at the Copenhagen European Council in June 1993 and at the recent European Council in Brussels on 29 October.
In Brussels, the European Council decided to mandate the Presidency and the Council Secretariat to prepare a proposal on the adjustments that will be required to the institutions with the accession of new members on the basis of the Lisbon and Copenhagen conclusions. The Council indicated its hope that the position of the member states would be defined on this issue at its meeting on 10-11 December following discussions in the General Affairs Council. The Presidency and the Council Secretariat are currently preparing the proposal on institutional adjustments required to take account of this round of enlargement. This proposal will be discussed by the General Affairs Council at a future meeting.
On the basis of the mandate set by successive European Councils since Lisbon the adjustments that will be required to the institutions of the Union to take account of this round of enlargement include: an increase in seats in the European Parliament; and allocation of votes to the new members at Council for qualified majority voting; adjustments on the rotation to the Presidency; an increase in the number of Commissioners; an increase in the number of judges and advocates general at the European Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance and an increase in membership of the Economic and Social Committee, the committee of the regions and other relevant committees.
There has been no explicit negotiation on the rights of smaller states in the context of an expanded European Union. However, certain informal proposals in circulation in the context of the enlargement issue seemed to open a much wider institutional dabate. Some of the ideas could have led to a shift in the institutional balance to the disadvantage of the smaller member states. For example, the size of the Commission would be reduced and the effect would be to deprive the smaller member states of the automatic right to have a Commissioner.
The Government's position on any proposals in the context of enlargement that would fundamentally alter the balance between larger and smaller member states to the disadvantage of the smaller member states has been made abundantly clear. The Taoiseach, in a statement on 9 September said: "we reject such proposals, which run counter to the conclusions of the Lisbon and Copenhagen European Councils". In a statement I made in the Seanad on 13 October, I rejected any move to use enlargement as an opportunity to bring about fundamental changes in the existing institutional balance.
At the special General Affairs Council on 26 October, Ireland, together with all the smaller member states, made clear its opposition to any suggestion that the current institutional balance would be altered in the context of this round of enlargement. In that context, the conclusion of the European Council in Brussels on 29 October which authorises the Presidency and the Council Secretariat to prepare a proposal on the adjustments required in the institutions to accommodate this round of enlargement on the basis of the Lisbon and Copenhagen European Council conclusions fully reflects our position.
