Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 26 Apr 1995

Vol. 143 No. 1

European Communities (Amendment) Bill, 1995: Committee and Final Stages.

Section 1 agreed to.

SECTION 2.

Question proposed: "That section 2 stand part of the Bill."

Mr. Mulcahy

As I understand it, the European Community no longer exists and that it is now the European Union following the ratification of the Maastricht Treaty. Are we following on the thinking of a European Community, as opposed to a European Union, in the Bill's Title by calling it the European Communities (Amendment) Bill, 1995?

I appreciate that the previous legislation was the European Communities Act, 1972, but it was then the European Community. Some people might suggest this is a trivial point, but we must start thinking in terms of the fact that Ireland is a member of the European Union and not the European Community. Perhaps there is an argument to be made for changing the Title of the Bill to the European Union (Amendment) Bill, 1995, and stating later in the legislation — for example, in section 2 — that the purpose of the Bill is to amend the European Communities Act, 1972.

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs (Mr. G. Mitchell)

It is an interesting point. The Bill is an amending piece of legislation and it would be important to retain its Title in terms of consistency and the traditional manner of dealing with such Bills.

There are three pillars to the European Union — the Community pillar, the Common Foreign and Security pillar and the Justice and Home Affairs pillar. These three together form the European Union and there is just one institution, the European Council. Other institutions are simply Community based.

The Community, therefore, has an ongoing life within the Union under the Community pillar. The passage of the Bill will not in any way take from the concerns expressed by the Senator. Its Title is appropriate for the purpose of consistency with the Union treaties.

Question put and agreed to.

Title agreed to.

Bill reported without amendment, received for final consideration and passed.

Mr. Manning

I thank all who contributed to the debate and I compliment the Minister for the very thoughtful and wide ranging series of points in his reply.

Sitting suspended at 5.15 p.m. and resumed at 6 p.m.