Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 25 Jul 1996

Vol. 468 No. 4

Written Answers. - EU Treaty Changes.

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

51 Mr. Sargent asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of Irish citizens who obtained a copy of the current draft changes proposed to the EU Treaty in view of the fact that according to press reports, the Intergovernmental Conference on revising the EU Treaty is working on draft treaty amendments. [15552/96]

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

52 Mr. Sargent asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the way in which the Government intends to fulfil its White Paper commitment to keep people fully informed of developments at the Intergovernmental Conference if the current draft changes proposed for the EU Treaty are not being made public. [15553/96]

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Spring)

I propose taking Questions Nos. 51 and 52 together.

As the Deputy is aware, the Government attaches importance to keeping the public and the Oireachtas informed of developments at the Intergovernmental Conference and to encouraging public debate about the issues involved. This commitment is reflected in the publication of the White Paper on Foreign Policy.

The Government will continue to keep the public and the Oireachtas informed of progress at the Intergovernmental Conference and we will continue to do all that is necessary to stimulate public interest and debate.

The Irish Presidency has drawn up an ambitious work programme for the Intergovernmental Conference with a view to fulfiling the mandate given by the Florence European Council namely to present to the Dublin European Council in December a general outline for a draft revision of the treaties. The Irish Presidency is seeking to move the Conference from its exploratory phase to the negotiation phase by focusing wherever possible on concrete draft texts for treaty changes.

The first papers submitted to the Conference by the Irish Presidency containing such draft texts dealt with the areas of Employment and Justice and Home Affairs and were considered at a meeting of Intergovernmental Conference Representatives, that is the Personal Representatives of Foreign Ministers on 16 and 17 July. Further papers concerning the Common Foreign and Security Policy, External Economic Relations and Transparency were submitted with a view to discussion at a meeting of Intergovernmental Conference Representatives on 22 and 23 July.

I have sent these papers as well as the other Conference documents prepared since the beginning of our Presidency to the Oireachtas Library and to the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs and European Affairs Committees. I propose to continue to make official Conference documents available to the Oireachtas in this way.

It should, of course, be noted that documents containing draft texts reflect a Presidency view of negotiating possibilities. They do not necessarily reflect Irish positions which will continue to be developed during the negotiations.