Vol. 445 No. 9
78 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the person he will nominate from Ireland to the reflection group whose establishment was agreed at Corfu in June 1994, to prepare for the revision of the Treaty on European Union to be presented to the 1996 intergovernmental meeting. [40/94]
The European Council at its meeting in Corfu on 24-25 June 1994 agreed to establish a Reflection Group of Personal Representatives of Foreign Ministers and the President of the Commission to prepare for the 1996 Intergovernmental Conference. The European Council also agreed that two representatives of the European Parliament could participate in the work of the group. The group will be chaired by a person appointed by the Spanish Government and will begin its work in June 1995. The Reflection Group will report in time for the meeting of the European Council at the end of 1995.
The Reflection Group will examine and elaborate ideas relating to the provisions of the Treaty on European Union for which a revision is foreseen and other possible improvements. I will also elaborate options in the perspective of the future enlargement of the Union on such institutional questions as the weighing of votes, the threshold for qualified majority decisions, the number of members of the Commission and any other measure deemed necessary to facilitate the work of the institutions and guarantee their effective operation.
The Reflection Group is to begin work in June of next year which is still some time away. I have not yet decided whom to nominate as my personal representative but I am keeping in touch with the situation and will make a decision in due course.
