Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:87 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's position on the European Charter of Fundamental Human Rights as put forward in Biarritz, France; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22631/00]
Vol. 524 No. 3
87 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's position on the European Charter of Fundamental Human Rights as put forward in Biarritz, France; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22631/00]
90 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of the European Charter of Fundamental Human Rights in the context of European enlargement and integration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22634/00]
91 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the European Charter of Fundamental Human Rights will have the status of a treaty; if it will require a referendum or merely a political declaration; if he will indicate his support for one or either option; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22635/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 87, 90 and 91 together.
The European Council in Biarritz approved the text of the draft European Charter of Fundamental Rights. In June 1999, the European Council meeting at Cologne 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.