Damien English
Question:88 Mr. English asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the targets he set and has reached to date during the EU Presidency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13620/04]
View answerWednesday, 12 May 2004
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Written answers
I am responsible for a wide range of EU Presidency business across the sectoral policy areas of telecommunications, energy, broadcasting, fisheries, maritime transport and maritime safety. I also hold commensurate chairing responsibilities for the agriculture and fisheries, transport, energy and telecommunications and education, youth and culture council formations.
Together with my officials, I have been working to deliver on policy priorities at EU level during the Presidency within the Government's overall strategic approach to the EU. In the telecommunications sector, the development and take-up of broadband infrastructure and services remains a key priority, which is central to the e-Europe 2005 action plan. Following the mid-term review of the action plan, which was endorsed at the Council of Telecoms Ministers in March, it was revised to take account of recent technological developments and the enlargement of the EU. It will feature on the agenda of the forthcoming Telecoms Council to be held on 10 June. In addition, the Council will respond to the Commission communication on member states' national broadband strategies.
The issue of broadband take-up was also the subject of a successful ministerial meeting recently held in Dundalk. Fruitful discussion was generated in response to papers given by a number of international experts, while Ministers also had the opportunity to exchange views on future strategies with chief executive officers from leading European information and communications technology companies. Significant progress has been made with legislative proposals for e-Content Plus and Safer Internet Plus, particularly given the limited time available during our Presidency in the outgoing European Parliament. Ministers will be asked to agree a Council position on these dossiers at our June Council meeting.
I am satisfied that the priority areas in the energy sector are progressing well. Sustainable energy was identified as an important element in the sustainable development of the EU economy. Work continues towards achieving a political agreement at the energy Council in June on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and the Council on establishing a framework for the setting of eco-design requirements for energy using products. I will also be attending the forthcoming international conference on renewable energies in Bonn in June. The Irish Presidency is actively collaborating with the Commission and Council Secretariat in working towards the establishment of a common energy position for the EU on this important issue.
Progressing the various elements of the Commission's recently published infrastructure package is also a priority. Work towards achieving political agreement on the gas transmission proposal at the June energy Council is continuing. The proposal relating to trans-European networks is also expected to be discussed at the June Council. The remaining elements of the Commission's infrastructure package, security of electricity supply and demand-side management are more contentious and, given European Parliament elections, the progress that can be made during the Irish Presidency is limited. Nonetheless, we will have completed a lot of important work on these dossiers by the end of our Presidency.
A successful two day high level meeting of energy directors-general from all 25 member states in Drogheda was held. EU external relations, energy aspects of climate change and the Commission's infrastructure package were discussed. I have given particular priority to progressing a structured debate on the regulation of satellite television broadcasters as well as advancing the overall review of television without frontiers directive. I hosted an informal meeting of EU Ministers, with responsibility for broadcasting, in Dublin and Drogheda from 1 to 3 March. One of the issues discussed at length during the conference was the regulation of broadcasting services, specifically targeted at one member state but which are actually subject to the national regulations of another member state. I intend to give member states a further opportunity to consider this and other related topics at this month's meeting of the education, youth and culture Council scheduled for 27 May 2004.
Progress continues on the proposed directive on sanctions for pollution offenders and the implementation of new maritime security measures for Irish ports and ships. The security measures will be in place by the required deadline 1 July 2004 and I intend to bring the proposed directive on pollution to the Council of Ministers' meeting in Luxembourg in June. A number of the targets set at the commencement of the Presidency in the fisheries area have been met. The Council has adopted proposals relating to the protection of small cetaceans, protection of an area of deep water coral reefs off Scotland known as the Darwin Mounds, aid for fishing fleets in the outermost regions of the EU and measures on autonomous EU tariff quotas on certain fisheries products. Agreement has been achieved by the Presidency on a number of third country fisheries agreements, including between the EU and Norway, the EU and Tanzania and the EU and the Solomon Islands. The Presidency has also progressed the development of conservation and management strategies in various regional fisheries organisations including the north west and north east Atlantic together with the Baltic Sea. The enlargement process for fisheries was successfully completed in time for the accession of the ten new member states on 1 May.
A successful ministerial and stakeholders conference on fast-tracking the development of environmentally-friendly fishing methods was held in March, and it is hoped to build on this with the adoption of Council Conclusions in June. This month and next the Council will discuss measures to implement the Council agreement on fixing maximum fishing effort in western waters, a regulation on the establishment of regional advisory councils, the retargeting of financial instrument for fisheries guidance aquaculture funding to strengthen the development of this sector and a policy debate at Council on technical conservation measures for the Mediterranean will be held.
Developments are highlighted on an on-going basis on my Department's website, http://www.dcmnr.ie, and on the Irish Presidency website, http://www.eu2004.ie.