Brendan Smith
Ceist:115 Mr. B. Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the German and French suggestions of a multispeed or three tier union in Europe. [1363/94]
Written Answers. - European Union.
At the 1996 InterGovernmental Conference (IGC) the member states of the European Union will examine the basic treaties established in the Union and the changes which it may be necessary to make to the institutional structures, taking account of the possibility of a further enlargement of the Union to include a number of countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
Over the next year, in the period leading up to the Intergovernmental Conference, the Government will be considering the prospects for the conference, the proposals which are likely to emerge and the positions which Ireland should adopt in relation to those proposals. The White Paper on Foreign Policy which I announced earlier this year and which is to be based on widespread public consultation will be an important part of that process of policy development.
In this perspective, I have read with interest the statements made by Prime Minister Balladur in an interview in Le Figaro on 31 August and the policy paper released by the CDU-CSU parties in the German Bundestag on 1 September. There have also been other presentations of interest including the speech made by Prime Minister Major in the Netherlands on 7 September.
I regard all of these as interesting contributions to the public debate within the Union on the further development of the process of European integration which will be the subject of detailed discussion and negotiation at the 1996 ITC.
As I have explained we in Ireland are at the beginning of a process of widespread public consultation which I intend will culminate in the publication of a White Paper in the first half of next year. I can say even at this stage that successive Irish Governments have taken the view that it is important to maintain a common approach by member states to the process of European integration and have felt that this is best done by commitment by all to implement common policies.