The next proposal COM (2006) 755 is a proposal for a regulation on the common organisation of the market in cereals. This is a proposal to end Community intervention purchases of maize from the 2007-08 marketing year. The Commission concludes that ending intervention for maize would allow the market to find a new balance where intervention could regain its original purpose of providing a safety net and not be used as a commercial outlet. The Department notes its reservations that the rationale for the proposal is purely an economic one and would prefer that other methods to address the problem be considered. The Department suggests measures such as placing a ceiling on intervention levels and more stringent quality criteria for maize entering intervention. The proposal has no implications for Ireland since maize for cereal production is not grown here. It is proposed that this measure be referred to the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food for further scrutiny in the context of the comments made by the Department regarding the rationale behind the proposal and alternative options. Is that agreed? Agreed.
There are no Title IV measures, no CFSP measures and no proposals proposed for deferral.
COM (2006) 808 is a proposal for a decision concerning the EC-Turkey association council and the implementation of the customs union in respect of certain processed agricultural products. This proposed measure follows the 2004 enlargement of the market in the European Union and concerns the appropriate changes to concessions to Turkey with regard to certain processed agricultural products, such as sugar confectionary, chocolate, sweets, stuffed pastas, ice cream and biscuits. I hope members have had their breakfasts. The Commission and Turkey reached agreement on the appropriate changes to the concessions in September 2006. Agreement is now required in the EC-Turkey association council and this proposal seeks approval for the Community position within that council. It is proposed that the proposed measure does not warrant further scrutiny. Is that agreed? Agreed.
COM (2006) 813 is a proposal for a regulation on the scrutiny by member states forming part of the system of financing by the European agricultural guarantee fund. The Commission sets out in the memorandum to this proposal that the 1989 regulation on scrutiny by the member states of transactions forming part of the system financing of the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund has been amended on a number of occasions and requires codification in the interests of clarity.
The 1989 regulation aims to ensure the member states take effective action to protect the financial interests of the Community, to prevent and pursue irregularities and to recover sums lost as a result of irregularities or negligence. This would be carried out by, inter alia, the member states carrying out inspections. The Department views the adoption of the proposed measure as having no implications for Ireland. It is proposed that the proposed measure does not warrant further scrutiny. Is that agreed? Agreed.
COM (2006) 836 is a proposal for a decision on the conclusion of the amending association agreement between the EC and Jordan. The Department has confirmed that it views the adoption of the proposed trade liberalisation measure as having no implications for Ireland. It is proposed that the proposed measure does not warrant further scrutiny. Is that agreed? Agreed.
COM (2006) 850 is a proposal for a regulation on energy statistics, aiming to put in place a legal basis for the collection of comparable European energy statistics. The collection of energy statistics is currently under way in member states but is based only on a gentlemen's agreement. The proposed regulation does not seek to add any additional burden on member states save where data under the existing arrangement is not currently supplied. The CSO has indicated that it is currently working with Sustainable Energy Ireland to develop a framework for the implementation of this regulation. It is proposed that this proposal does not warrant any further scrutiny. Is that agreed? Agreed.
COM (2006) 864 is a proposed regulation on the submission by member states of statistics on aquaculture. Member states are required by Regulation 788/96 to provide annual data on aquaculture production. The Commission in its explanatory memorandum to this proposal notes that since the regulation was introduced, aquaculture has grown greatly and currently contributes 27% by value to total EU fishery production. The aim of the proposal is to require member states to submit data as follows: annually on volume and value of aquaculture production; and every three years on volume and value fishery product taken from wild into aquaculture, production from hatcheries and the structure of aquaculture holdings. The Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in its information note explains that the proposal would have no data gathering implications for Ireland, given that the relevant information is already supplied. It is proposed that this proposal does not warrant any further scrutiny Is that agreed? Agreed.
COM (2006) 866 is a proposal to amend the regulation on mutual assistance between member states and the Commission to ensure the correct application of the law on customs and agricultural matters. This proposal, which was deferred at the last meeting of the sub-committee, aims to further strengthen the co-operation between member states and the Commission to ensure correct application of the law on customs and agriculture matters. Regulation 515/97 already provides the legal basis for mutual assistance between members states and the Commission to combat irregularities and fraud by using the customs information system, CIS, to alert each other to risks of irregular operations. This proposal will allow a member state receiving information from another member state under the CIS to communicate that information to a third country, provided the member state which originally sent the information gives its prior consent. Among the other main specific changes proposed are: empowering the Commission to negotiate with service providers for the pooling of customs and trade data in a single accessible directory; updating the provisions on the control of personal data under the CIS; using CIS data for analysis purposes to assist in detection and prosecution; and creating the community customs files identification database to track investigations in each member state and to release that information to competent authorities upon request.
The Revenue Commissioners state in their information note that the Irish customs authorities already use CIS on a day-to-day basis in mutual assistance and operational co-operation and that the proposal will not have any implications other than to enhance further their ability to co-operate with their counterparts in the EU. This proposal was deferred pending clarification of the legislative and specific cost implications for Ireland. The Department has supplied further information and has confirmed that there are no consequences for national legislation and no cost implications as the new database will be accessed using the current technology infrastructure. It is proposed that this proposal does not warrant further scrutiny. Is that agreed? Agreed.
COM (2007) 11 is a proposal for an amending decision concerning the association of the overseas countries and territories, OCTs, with the European Community. As Members will be aware, a number of member states have special relationships with overseas territories that are not part of the Community, such as Denmark has with Greenland. The Council adopts specific rules in regard to OCTs, the provision of Community financial assistance and the associated governance and institutional issues. Under the tenth European Development Fund, the OCTs will receive €286 million over the period 2008-13. This proposal from the Commission concerns approval for the continuation of the legal base for the provision of support until 13 December 2013. It is proposed that the proposed measure does not warrant further scrutiny. Is that agreed? Agreed.
COM (2007) 54 is a proposal for a regulation imposing an anti-dumping duty on tungsten electrodes originating in the People's Republic of China. It is proposed that the proposed measure does not warrant further scrutiny. Is that agreed? Agreed.
As members will be aware from recent meetings of the sub-committee, comitology procedures were amended by Council Decision 512 of 2006. The revised procedures now include a regulatory procedure with scrutiny, allowing scrutiny by the European Parliament. This new procedure applies in respect of certain Acts where the implementing powers delegated to the Commission allow the Commission to make provisions of general scope. In October 2006, the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament agreed a list of 25 instruments which required amending to include this new procedure as a matter of urgency. The Commission is currently screening existing legislation in order to decide whether the new procedure should apply. The following five proposals are of the same suite.
COM (2006) 904 is a proposal to amend the regulation on the Schengen borders code. COM (2006) 906 is a proposal to amend the money laundering directive. COM (2006) 908 is a proposal to amend the regulation on maximum residue levels of pesticides. COM (2006) 912 is a proposal to amend the regulation on genetically modified food and feed. COM (2006) 923 is a proposal for a directive concerning the placing of biocidal products on the market. I am informed that biocidal products are non-agricultural pesticides. It is proposed that these proposed measures do not warrant further scrutiny. Is that agreed? Agreed.
COM (2007) 17 is a proposal for a regulation laying down specific rules with respect to the fruit and vegetable sector and amending related regulations. This proposal aims to align the common organisation of the fruit and vegetable market with the CAP reforms of 2003. We referred earlier to the issue and have agreed a press statement on it. The Commission is proposing that greater encouragement be given to consolidation of the co-operation between growers and that fruit and vegetables be included in the single payments scheme. As members will have noted, the Commission contends that the shifting from production support to direct aid to producers will contribute to a more market-orientated and sustainable agriculture. The promotion of greater levels of consumption would, inter alia, occur by permitting the funding of promotional campaigns under the associated funding for the regulation. This funding will be neutral, as related export subsidies, which Ireland does not receive, would be abolished. It is proposed that the proposed measure be referred for information to the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food. It is also proposed that the proposed measure be forwarded for information to the Joint Committee on Health and Children, in the context of the aspects of the proposed measure concerning the promotion of the consumption of fruit and vegetables by young people. Is that agreed? Agreed.
COM (2006) 787 is a proposal for a directive on the identification and designation of European critical infrastructure and the assessment of the need to improve their protection. This proposal aims to advance the process whereby criteria would be agreed at the level of the European Union as to what would constitute European critical infrastructure. Under the proposal, each member state would report to the Commission on developments related to European critical infrastructure based in the respective state. It is proposed that the proposed measure does not warrant further scrutiny. It is also proposed that the proposed measure be forwarded for information to the Joint Committee on Environment and Local Government. Is that agreed? Agreed.
COM (2007) 12 is a proposal to amend the regulation on the financing of interventions by the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund. This proposal is related to COM (2006) 755 on the proposed abolition of intervention for maize and the Commission has asked the Council to consider them in tandem. This proposal aims to increase the EU contribution to the financial costs of intervention for cereals. Essentially, this proposal seeks to extend an arrangement in place for the period from 2005-06 to 2007-08. Costs for member states arise from the obligation to buy from producers agricultural products which are subject to an intervention mechanism and to bear the cost of public storage of such stocks. In some member states, the interest rates used to finance this activity are substantially higher than the standard recoupment rate. This proposal aims to alleviate this extra financial burden by compensating member states where the interest rates experienced exceed twice the uniform rate. The Commission will refund the difference between the uniform rate and the rate charged. The Department considers that the proposal has no implications for Ireland. It is proposed that the proposal does not warrant further scrutiny but that it be forwarded for information to the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food in the context of COM (2006) 755, which was referred for further scrutiny. Is that agreed? Agreed.
COM (2006) 798 is a proposal for the opening of tariff quotas for imports into Bulgaria and Romania of raw cane sugar. This proposal aims to open tariff quotas for imports into Bulgaria and Romania of raw cane sugar. These countries rely hevily on imports of sugar from traditional suppliers in third countries, such as Brazil and Cuba. To ensure the sugar supply to those countries the Commission proposes opening tariff quotas on imports for the marketing years 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09. The proposal also aims to fix the applicable import duty at a level that is not prohibitive for Bulgaria and Romania, while ensuring fair competition in the Community sugar market. The Department has indicated that this proposal is of minor significance having no implications for Ireland. It is proposed that the measure does not warrant any further scrutiny. Is that agreed? Agreed.
COM (2006) 822 is a proposal for a regulation establishing a common organisation of agricultural markets and on specific provisions for certain agricultural products. This proposal aims to amalgamate the existing 21 common market organisations, CMOs, into a single CMO and the Commission has put forward this proposal as part of its simplification agenda. Currently each agricultural sector, for example milk, rice and cereals, is regulated by separate Council regulations. Most of these basic regulations follow the same structure and contain numerous common provisions. The proposal aims to amalgamate these 21 regulations into a single CMO to harmonise provisions that would then apply similarly to all sectors, for example areas of policy such as intervention, import tariff quotas, competition rules and the communication of data.
This proposed regulation would apply to all products currently governed by a CMO and would incorporate other agricultural products not currently subject to a CMO such as silk worms, ethyl alcohol and apiculture, or honey, products. In addition this proposed regulation would incorporate further Council rules applying to agricultural products. These include rules on milk quotas, specific provisions on private storage and public intervention, state aid and competition rules.
The Department has supplied further information and has confirmed that this proposal is being carefully examined at working group level and that the Department will ensure it is satisfied that the text contains no changes in policy. The Department, in its information note, has raised concerns at the manageability of a single CMO as envisaged by this proposal and indicates that a number of other member states have raised the same issue. While the Commission has indicated that steps will be taken to address the issue the Department will seek a solution that ensures the Department's sectoral experts are facilitated in fully participating in and influencing the decision making process on the market measures in their sectors.
It is proposed that, while this measure does not warrant further scrutiny, it should be forwarded to the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Food for information in the context of the concerns raised by the Department. It is also proposed to ask the lead Department to keep that committee informed of the progress of this proposal. Is that agreed? Agreed.
COM (2006) 827 is a proposal amending the regulation establishing a quota system for the production of potato starch. A quota system applies to the production of potato starch in the EU. Quotas were allotted to member states and, within each, subquotas were allotted to manufacturers. These quotas apply to the end of the 2006-07 marketing year.
The Commission has presented to Council a report on the functioning of the quota system. Based on the report the Commission proposes a roll-over of the current quotas to the 2007-08 and 2008-09 marketing years to allow proper analysis of the effect of the reform of the sugar sector on the starch market. The Department, in its information note, has indicated that this proposal will have no implications for Ireland and that Ireland does not produce potato starch and does not hold a quota. It is proposed that this measure does not warrant further scrutiny. Is that agreed? Agreed.
COM (2006) 861 is a proposal to amend the regulation on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the common customs tariff. This proposal aims to suspend import duties on unwrought, not alloyed aluminium. The market for raw aluminium has become increasingly dominated by holdings in third countries offering a wide range of aluminium products. This trend has resulted in member states using raw aluminium, suffering a competitive disadvantage having to pay import duties while operating in an environment of higher energy prices than some third countries.
The proposal seeks to suspend import duties on raw aluminium to restore the competitiveness of small industries using such aluminium for industrial transformation and to avoid further price increases for consumers. The Department, in its information note, considers this proposal to be purely technical with no implications for Ireland. It is proposed that this technical proposal does not warrant further scrutiny. Is that agreed? Agreed.
COM (2006) 791 is a proposal for a Council directive amending Directive 93/109/EC of 6 December 1993 as regards certain detailed arrangements for the exercise of the right to vote and stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament for citizens of the Union residing in a member state of which they are not nationals. It is set out, in the Commission's memorandum to this proposal and in the Department's note, that the administrative procedures and information exchange between member states relating to helping prevent double voting and double candidature are seen as extremely onerous and difficult to implement effectively.
The Commission concludes its memorandum with the proposal for the existing administrative burden to be reduced to declarations on documentation in the member state of residence and for there to be effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties for inaccuracies in declarations. There would also be a report on how effective this approach has been, at a later date. The Department indicates, in its note, that the proposed measure would significantly reduce the related administrative burden in Ireland. It then suggests that the proposal is a positive and timely response by the Commission to concerns expressed by member states. I understand that, while the current proposal concerns administrative simplification measures that may ease the burden on electoral administrations across the member states, the line of thinking outlined in the Commission's options section of the proposal suggests that more radical measures may be considered in the future.
It is proposed that the proposed measure does not currently warrant further scrutiny. It is also proposed that the proposed measure be forwarded for information to the Joint Committee on Environment and Local Government. It is also proposed that the Department be requested to keep the committee informed of significant developments relating to this proposal. Is that agreed? Agreed.