Vol. 482 No. 3
310 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, he has to follow Belgium's example in entering a reservation to that part of the recent EU Amsterdam Summit Treaty which limits the right of EU nationals to seek asylum in another EU member state. [17960/97]
I have already made an Order commencing sections 1, 2, 5, 22 and 25 of the Refugee Act, 1996, with effect from 29 August last.
The Treaty of Amsterdam, which was agreed unanimously by the member states subject to the relevant national ratification procedures contains a protocol on asylum for nationals of member states of the European Union. The preamble to the protocol states explicitly that the protocol "respects the finality and the objectives of the Geneva Convention of 28 July 1951 relating to the status of refugees". The Government is fully satisfied that the new protocol is consistent with the obligations of member states under the 1951 Convention, and this was an important point for Ireland in the negotiations.
Moreover, a Treaty Declaration explicitly confirms that the protocol "does not prejudice the right of each member state to take the organisational measures it deems necessary for fulfilling its obligations under the Geneva Convention of 28 July 1951 relating to the status of refugees".
