Gay Mitchell
Ceist:59 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the recent meeting of EU experts in London to discuss the establishment of a permanent international criminal court. [6192/98]
Written Answers - International Criminal Court.
The UK, in its capacity as President of the Council of the European Union, had a meeting of EU member states in London on 25 and 26 February 1998. The meeting discussed issues relating to the forthcoming Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries scheduled to be held in Rome from 15 June to 17 July 1998. The diplomatic conference is being convened to finalise and adopt a convention on the establishment of an international criminal court and to discuss aspects of the current draft convention. Representatives of all EU member states attended the meeting. Ireland was represented by two officials.
While all member states have individual national policies in relation to the proposed court, EU co-ordination meetings are held in order to allow member states to exchange views and information and, where it is possible and useful, to co-ordinate their approach to the process leading to the establishment of a court.
The meeting in London proved useful as it afforded EU member states an opportunity to exchange views on a number of issues, in particular in relation to organisational aspects of the diplomatic conference and the advancement of negotiations at the next meeting of the preparatory committee on the establishment of the court, which will be held in New York from 16 March to 3 April 1998.