Vol. 443 No. 5
60 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the stage at which the process of selecting and nominating Ireland's members and alternate members of the European Social Committee of the European Union is at; the proposals, if any, he has to change the system of nomination with a view to making our members of the committee more open and accountable; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The term of office of the members of the Economic and Social Committee of the European Union expires on 20 September 1994. Under the European Community Treaty, the Council acting unanimously appoints the members of the committee for a four year term. The process of consultation on the nomination of the Irish candidates is in progress with a view to presenting the list of candidates and alternates to the Council.
The Government's policy in selecting candidates is to ensure that they are broadly representative of the economic and social sectors in Irish society in keeping with the terms of the Treaty. Under the present arrangements, three members nominated by the trade union movement represent labour, three represent employers and are nominated by the employers' bodies, two represent agriculture and are nominated by the farmers' organisations, one represents the social sector, nominated by Muintir na Tíre.
The Treaty provides that the members of the committee may not be bound by any mandatory instructions and shall be completely independent in the performance of their duties. To demand that the Irish members should be accountable for their actions on the committee would both undermine the independence of the committee and be contrary to the provisions of the Treaty.
