The next item is Title IV measures but no such measures were received for this meeting. The following CFSP measure, 3.1, CFSP/2005/643, is a Council joint action on the European Union monitoring mission in Aceh, Indonesia. The lead Department is the Department of Foreign Affairs. The other Department involved is the Department of Defence.
This measure follows from an agreement between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement and provides a legal base for the provision of an EU monitoring mission to assist in the implementation of that agreement. Members will have seen that the Department's note indicates that Ireland is participating in this mission. It is proposed to note the measure. Is that agreed? Agreed.
On the matter of deferred documents there is one proposal for deferral. Proposal 4.1, COM (2005) 276, is for a Council framework decision to strengthen the criminal law framework to combat intellectual property offences. The lead Department is the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the other Department with an interest is the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. There are two parts to this proposal and the secretariat has, to date, received a note that concerns only the proposed framework decision. The Department has indicated that an additional note would be provided in regard to the proposed directive concerning criminal measures aimed at ensuring the enforcement of intellectual property rights. It is proposed to defer consideration of this proposal until the additional information note is received by the Department. Is that agreed? Agreed.
With regard to No. 5, proposals proposed for no further scrutiny, these are items 5.1 to 5.4. Proposal 5.1, COM (2005) 328, is for a Council decision amending Decision 2004/465/EC on a Community financial contribution towards member states' fisheries controlling programmes. The lead Department is the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and the other Department with an interest is the Department of Defence.
In common with a number of proposals considered by the sub-committee in recent months, this proposal seeks approval for the extension of an EU programme until the end of 2006. The proposal concerns the Community's support for the fisheries control programmes of the member states. This extension would ensure that a programme of financial support would be in place up to the point when programmes funded under the next financial perspective are expected to become operational, in the period 2007-13. The Commission in its memorandum to the proposal outlines that particular attention in the final year of the current fisheries programme would be focused on the needs of those member states that joined in 2004. The amount scheduled for 2006 under the proposal is €35 million.
The Department's note indicates that extension of the programme would permit the provision of assistance to Ireland in this area for a further year. As members will have seen from the materials already circulated, the Department has been requested to outline the assistance that has been received from the programme to date and this information will be circulated when received. It is proposed that the proposal does not warrant further scrutiny, but that the proposed measure be forwarded for information to the Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. Is that agreed? Agreed.
It is proposed that the proposals concerning air service agreements with third countries be taken together, that is, proposals numbered 5.2 to 5.8 relating to Albania, Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Ukraine, Romania and Moldova. The joint committee has considered in recent months a number of proposals that follow from decisions of the European Court of Justice on national restrictions in bilateral air-service agreements between individual member states and third countries. These proposals concern the agreements between the European Union and a number of third countries that would supplement the national agreements in place. The agreements underline the principle of non-discrimination between operators based across the EU.
The Department has indicated in its note that the adoption of the proposed measures would have little or no implication for Ireland. It is proposed that the proposals, outlined earlier, do not warrant further scrutiny. One question that comes to mind is whether this relates to standards applied or implemented. I had a concern that it related to standards applied by airlines in these countries but it does not.
Proposal 5.9, COM (2005) 361, is for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council repealing Council Directive 90/544/EEC on the frequency bands designated for the co-ordinated introduction of pan-European land-based public radio paging in the Community. The lead Department is the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.
Directive 90/544/EEC requires the reservation of certain radio frequencies for radio paging. The memorandum to the proposal sets out that the advancing of newer technologies has meant that the reserved frequencies are used very little across Europe. The Department's note highlights that there are no licences issued on these reserved frequencies in Ireland. Therefore, it is suggested that the adoption of the proposal would free-up the frequencies for other uses.
The Commission is proposing that reserved radio band 169.4-169.8 be used for other purposes, following consultations with interested parties. I understand the Department had been requested to clarify if licences have been issued in Ireland for paging services on other frequencies and if there are plans in place for licensing the services that would be provided through the bands in question. The Department has indicated that it is consulting with ComReg on this matter and any additional information received in this regard will be forwarded to members.
The adoption of this measure would appear to open up frequency bands for some very useful purposes such as social alarms, allowing elderly persons to send alarm messages, and tracking devices on stolen goods. It is proposed that the proposal be forwarded for information to the Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights. Is that agreed? Agreed.
Proposal 5.10, COM (2005) 377, is a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the financing of European standardisation. The lead Department is the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. No other Department is involved. The setting of European standards is seen as facilitating the free movement of products in the Internal Market. The Commission in its memorandum sets out that it is for this reason it has financially supported the development of European standards. The European Union's financial regulation requires that EU-funded actions are grounded on a legal basis. These proposals seek approval for the adoption of an Act that would provide a clear and explicit legal basis for the continued provision of assistance in relation to standardisation and for the setting of procedures in this regard. It is proposed that the proposals do not warrant further scrutiny. Is that agreed? Agreed.
Proposal 5.11 — COM (2005) 413 has been adopted since circulation and will now be taken as item 6.7 — an adopted measure. Proposal 5.12, COM (2005) 424, is a proposal for a Council regulation imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty and collecting definitively the provisional duty imposed on imports of certain magnesia bricks originating in the People's Republic of China. The lead Department is the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. It is proposed that the measure does not warrant further scrutiny. Is that agreed? Agreed.
Proposal 5.13, COM (2005) 417, is a proposal for a Council regulation amending regulation (EC) No. 2007/2000 introducing exceptional trade measures for countries and territories participating in or linked to the European Union's stabilisation and association process. The lead Department is the Department of Foreign Affairs and the other Departments involved are the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of Agriculture and Food.
Exceptional EU trade liberalisation measures in relation to the western Balkan region were introduced in 2000 and were aimed at economically revitalising the region and underpinning advances in human rights, democracy and regional co-operation. The current proposal from the Commission seeks approval for the extension of these trade measures for a further five year period until the end of 2010. In addition, the adopted measures would reflect developments concerning the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia since the year 2000. It is proposed that the proposal does not warrant further scrutiny.