Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht debate -
Tuesday, 25 Feb 2014

Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals

Chairman

COM (2013) 697 is a proposal for a Council decision on the position to be taken by the Union in the administrative committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe regarding the draft regulation on uniform provisions concerning the recyclability of motor vehicles. It is proposed that this proposal does not warrant further scrutiny. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Next is COM (2013) 758, a proposal for a Council decision concerning the placing on the market for cultivation, in accordance with Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, of a maize product, Zea mays L., line 1507, genetically modified for resistance to certain lepidopteran pests. It is proposed that this proposal does not warrant further scrutiny. Is that agreed?

Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan

No, it is not agreed. This proposal needs more scrutiny. We need to look at it further. How do we do that?

Chairman

We can do one of two things. We can either write to the Secretary General of the Department asking for more details on it or we can invite officials from the Department to a meeting to discuss it.

Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan

I would be happy with the latter.

Chairman

I am informed that it is a decision that has already been taken at Council level. However, if the Deputy is agreeable, we can write to the Secretary General and ask for more details. We can revisit the issue on receipt of a response. Is that agreed?

Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan

That is fine, yes.

Chairman

COM (2013) 867 is a proposal for a Council decision on the accession of the European Union to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It is proposed that this proposal warrants further scrutiny by way of a letter to the Secretary General of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht requesting that the joint committee be kept updated on significant developments relating to this proposal. Is that agreed? Agreed.

COM (2014) 20 is a proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the establishment and operation of a market stability reserve for the Union greenhouse gas emission trading scheme and amending Directive 2003/87/EC. Due to the importance of this proposal and the consequent effects, it is proposed that this proposal warrants further scrutiny by way of a letter to the Secretary General of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, requesting that the joint committee be kept updated on significant developments relating to the proposal. Is that agreed? Agreed.

I now propose that we suspend our meeting, because the chairman designate of the Arts Council has not arrived yet. We will resume at 4 p.m.

Sitting suspended at 3.25 p.m. and resumed at 4 p.m.