Bertie Ahern
Question:25 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the reflection group charged with the preparation of the Intergovernmental Conference in 1996. [13780/95]
Vol. 457 No. 2
25 Mr. B. Ahern asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the reflection group charged with the preparation of the Intergovernmental Conference in 1996. [13780/95]
The reflection group which is to assist in the preparation of next year's Intergovernmental Conference started its work in June. Nine meetings of the group have taken place so far. It has completed in initial round of discussions on the issues likely to arise at the Intergovernmental Conference, and has had a further round of discussions on the basis of a progress report prepared by the chairman of the reflection group, Mr. Carlos Westerdorp. The group will continue to meet regularly over the coming weeks and will submit its final report to the European Council in Madrid in December.
The reflection group is not a negotiating forum. Its role is to help in identifying the challenges to be addressed by the Intergovernmental Conference, to clarify the issues and where possible to set out possible options. It will be the task of the Intergovernmental Conference itself to negotiate any Treaty amendments.
As the Irish member of the reflection group, I have already given one detailed briefing to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Affairs and will be giving a further briefing to the Committee on 24 October.
The work of the group is progressing very satisfactorily. Discussions have centred on five main themes: the challenges facing the Union and the objectives of the Intergovernmental Conference; the institutional system; the Union and the citizen; the Union's Common Foreign and Security Policy; and the so-called instruments of the Union, a concept which includes, for example, subsidiarity and the possibility of incorporating new competences in the Treaty.
There are differing views in the reflection group both on the scope of the agenda of the Intergovernmental Conference and on the level of ambition for its outcome.