Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 23 Oct 2003

Vol. 573 No. 2

Written Answers. - EU Presidency.

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

38 Mr. Sargent asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the EU Council meetings which her Department will be responsible for during the Irish EU Presidency; the particular issues her Department will wish to highlight during the Presidency; and the proposed agenda for the upcoming informal meeting of the Council of Employment and Social Policy Ministers in Galway in January 2004. [24604/03]

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney):

The preparation of the programme of work for my Department in the context of Ireland's Presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2004 is well advanced. However, it will not be finalised until December following the completion of the work of the current Italian Presidency in the policy areas relevant to my Department. The draft programme is also the subject of ongoing consultations with relevant parties in the EU institutions and among our partners at EU level with whom Ireland is required to develop annual and multi-annual operating programmes before the end of this year.

The Lisbon agenda of economic, social and environmental renewal of the EU will be a key overarching priority for the Irish Presidency. Progress on the achievement of the agenda and measures to give renewed impetus to advancing economic reform, enhancing competitiveness and stimulating employment in Europe will be the focus of the spring European Council on 25 to 26 March 2004. The priorities of the Irish Presidency in this area are being developed in tandem with the preparation of the overall programme of work for the Presidency.

During the Presidency, I will chair two formal meetings of the Competitiveness Council of Ministers, which are scheduled to take place in Brussels on 11 March and 17 to 18 May 2004. Particular stress will be laid by Ireland on the need for the Competitiveness Council to focus on its horizontal remit in line with the Seville European Council in June 2002 and the Presidency conclusions of the 2003 spring summit. It is important that there is attention at the highest political level on issues affecting the competitiveness of enterprise and I see the role of the Competitiveness Council as central to achieving this. The council will also discuss a range of issues coming under its direct remit in areas such as enterprise, research and innovation policies and the completion and effective operation of the internal market, particularly with regard to the services sector. Specific dossiers on issues relating to intellectual property, competition, company law and consumer policy are likely to feature on the agenda, but it is too soon to say with certainty what the precise status of the issues will be when Ireland assumes the Presidency next January. In addition to these two formal councils, I will also chair an informal meeting of Competitiveness Council Ministers in April 2004. This meeting will take place in County Clare.

My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, will chair the sessions of the Employment Social Policy Health and Consumer Affairs, ESPHCA, Council dealing with items on which my Department takes the lead, such as the European employment strategy and individual dossiers in the areas of employment rights, industrial relations and occupational health and safety measures. The ESPHCA Council is scheduled to meet in formal session on 4 to 5 March and 1 to 2 June 2004. The Irish Presidency will seek to promote closer co-operation with the two sides of industry in facilitating change and helping in the effective transformation of the European economy. To this end it will convene a tripartite social summit with the EU level social partners in advance of the 2004 spring European Council.

The Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, with the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Coughlan, will co-chair an informal meeting of Ministers for Employment and Social Policy on 15 and 16 January 2004 in Galway. This meeting is not a decision-making forum, but provides an opportunity for Ministers to discuss topics of relevance. Suggestions for the theme of the informal meeting are the subject of discussions with the Commission and a final decision on the theme will be made when these discussions are concluded. Both the Competitiveness and ESPHCA Councils will make significant contributions towards the preparation of the spring European Council meeting next March.

In the trade policy area, and following the outcome of the WTO ministerial meeting in Cancún, the way forward is as yet somewhat uncertain. However, the focus of the Irish Presidency will be on efforts to achieve progress on all the issues included in the negotiations. The Irish Presidency will be committed to further developing co-operation between the EU and the US on a range of economic and trade relations issues. Trade issues are discussed as part of the agenda of the General Affairs and External Relations Council of Ministers which is scheduled to meet on a monthly basis during our Presidency and will be chaired by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ahern, will be closely involved in pursuing the EU agenda in the foregoing areas during the Presidency, including attendance at the Council when trade items are on the agenda.

In addition to the formal Presidency agenda, my Department will be involved in the organisation of a number of further Presidency related meetings in Ireland. The current calendar of such events, across all policy areas, has been deposited in the Oireachtas Library by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and will be updated on an ongoing basis in the period up to and during the Presidency. It is the Government's intention to keep the Oireachtas informed as the Presidency preparations and priorities evolve. In addition, details will also be available in due course on the Irish Presidency website which is currently being developed, as well as on my Department's website.