Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 17 Oct 1996

Vol. 470 No. 3

Written Answers. - Personnel Attending European Committee.

Ivor Callely

Ceist:

65 Mr. Callely asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the personnel who will attend meetings of the European political committee during the course of Ireland's Presidency of the EU; their brief for participation in such meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18889/96]

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Spring)

The Treaty on European Union provides that a political committee "consisting of political directors shall monitor the international situation in the areas covered by common foreign and security policy and contribute to the definition of policies by delivering opinions to the Council at the request of the Council or on its own initiative". The political committee is chaired during Ireland's Presidency of the European Union by the political director of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the assistant secretary who heads the political division in the Department.

The agenda for meetings of the political committee is prepared by the group of European correspondents, a group composed of officials drawn from the Foreign Ministeries of the member states and from the European Commission. The European correspondents also attend meetings of the political committee and are responsible,inter alia, for recording the outcome of its discussions.

During the period of our Presidency, the Irish position is represented at meetings of the political committee by officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and of the permanent mission to the European Union in Brussels.