Seán Ryan
Ceist:33 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Biarritz summit in France. [22336/00]
Written Answers. - European Council Meeting.
An informal meeting of the European Council took place in Biarritz on 13 and 14 October. The principal item of business was the Intergovernmental Conference, but the charter of fundamental rights, developments in the Middle East, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the state of the world oil market also featured in discussions. For details of the European Council's discussions on progress in the Intergovernmental Conference, I refer Deputies to my reply to Question No. 7.
The European Council approved the text of the draft European charter of fundamental rights. In June 1999 the Council decided that: "a body composed of representatives of the Heads of State and Government and the President of the Commission as well as members of the European Parliament and national parliaments should elaborate a charter that should contain the fundamental rights and freedoms as well as basic procedural rights guaranteed by the European Convention for the protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and derived from the constitutional traditions common to the member states, as general principles of Community law."
The Council had agreed that a draft document should be presented in advance of the European Council in Nice in December 2000. It was further agreed that this document should be presented to the informal European Council in Biarritz.
The Taoiseach's representative, Deputy O'Kennedy, was unable to give his assent to the draft that was agreed by other members of the convention on 2 October, as the text was still being considered by Government Departments and the Office of the Attorney General. As a result of those consultations, we made a statement at the General Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 9 October indicating our acceptance of the draft on the understanding that the charter will take the form of a political declaration. We are opposed to the adoption of a legally binding instrument.
The draft will now be presented to the European Council in Nice on 9-10 December. On that occasion, the Council will propose to the European Parliament and the Commission that, together with the Council, they should solemnly proclaim a European charter of fundamental rights. The status of the charter may be discussed at Nice but it is likely that further discussions will take place at a later date. I repeat that it is our view that the charter should remain a political declaration.
The European Council at Biarritz discussed the current situation in the Middle East and issued a statement. As the Deputy will be aware, the House will debate the situation in the Middle East tomorrow.
For details of discussion on developments in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, as well as the meeting with President Kostunica immediately following the Council, I refer Deputies to my reply to Question No. 26.
There was also a brief lunchtime discussion on the state of the world oil markets, based on the Commission paper "The European Union's Oil Supply". The thrust of the Commission paper was broadly welcomed by all members of the European Council.