Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation debate -
Tuesday, 12 Feb 2013

Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals

Chairman

The committee will undertake scrutiny of three EU proposals and will note one adopted measure. COM (2012) 372 is a directive of the European Parliament and Council on collective management of copyright and related rights, and multi-territorial licensing of rights in musical works for online uses in the Internal Market. This proposal is generally welcomed by stakeholders and by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and it is proposed not to warrant further scrutiny. Is that agreed? Agreed.

COM (2012) 709 is a proposal for a Council decision on guidelines for the employment policies of member states. This is not a proposal for EU legislation but for a Council decision on guidelines for the employment policies of member states. The guidelines are not proposed to be revisited until 2014 and, therefore, the current proposal is simply fulfilling an annual legal requirement under the Treaty of the Functioning of Europe. It is proposed, therefore, that further scrutiny by the committee is not warranted. Is that agreed?

Senator David Cullinane

I have one caveat. I seek a briefing on the findings of the EU committee on social rights which found, or judged, that Ireland was in breach of the European Social Charter and of European employment law. That committee is an independent legal body tasked with judging whether the State is in compliance with the charter and existing EU employment law. If it has found us to be in breach it would be prudent for us to find out the reason for that before we agree to this proposal.

Chairman

That finding is separate to this proposal but I have no problem with leaving the proposal aside.

Senator David Cullinane

One could argue that it is not separate if it deals with the issuing of EU-wide guidelines on employment rights. We will not be pedantic about it.

Chairman

To clarify, this proposal is not a proposal for new EU legislation. However, there is no problem. We will get a written brief on the report of the committee and if we need to we will also scrutinise that brief. Is it agreed that COM (2012) 709 is not proposed for scrutiny now? Agreed.

COM (2012) 725 is a proposal for Council regulation amending Regulation (EC) No. 659/1999, laying down detailed rules for the application of Article 93 of the EC treaty. The Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation is supportive of the state aid modernisation, SAM, initiative of the EU and is also supportive of this proposed regulation. The regulation should lead to a reduction in the administrative burden on member states relating to state aid procedures. It is proposed that this proposal does not warrant further scrutiny. However, I propose that the wider issue of the state aid modernisation initiative of the EU be placed on the committee agenda as an item for consideration at a later date. Is that agreed?

Deputy Dara Calleary

Is there any indication of how much will be saved?

Chairman

No. There is no information on savings but we can look for it.

Deputy Peadar Tóibín

I do not reject in any way these comments but the Secretary General of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation made a very important statement last week, his view being there would be a tightening of state aid. When we pushed him on what this would mean he stated that the Commission desired less state aid to be delivered to cover fewer people. Given the major unemployment problems in Ireland and throughout the EU this might well be the occasion to allow for state aid to be focused more strategically and, in certain areas, increased. I would like to see the Government being very robust in its negotiations in regard to state aid, ensuring it suits the Irish economic situation.

Chairman

That is why I suggested this regulation was only procedural. However, to reiterate, we need to scrutinise the wider issue of the state aid modernisation initiative and put forward our agenda. We are flagging that we will do so in the coming weeks and now, in light of what the Secretary General stated, we are prepared to do it. Is it agreed the actual proposal does not need further scrutiny? Agreed.

There is one adopted measure to note, COM (2012)15. Is that agreed? It was discussed previously by the committee. Agreed.