JOINT COMMITTEE ON EUROPEAN AFFAIRS díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 22 Jan 2008

Business of Joint Committee.

Chairman

The minutes of the meeting of 17 January 2008 have been circulated. Are they agreed? Agreed. Correspondence received since our last meeting has been circulated. No. 44, an e-mail from the Netherlands Embassy in Dublin, states the committee on European Affairs of the Netherlands Parliament is planning to visit Ireland in February and would like to meet this committee during its visit. That might be a good opportunity for cross-fertilisation of thought between parliamentarians here and in the Netherlands. Is it agreed we meet on 19 February 2008? Agreed.

Item No. 45 concerns an invitation to a specialist briefing on the European Commission proposals on EU energy and climate change, which will be presented by the Commission this week. The briefing will take place at the European Commission representation offices on Thursday next, 24 January, at 10 a.m. It might be useful for any members with an interest in this area to attend as the issues of climate change and energy will arise in debate on the treaty. It is interesting that over the past 15 to 20 years rainforests in places like Brazil have been cut down and replaced by food growing enterprises. The EU is now importing much of the food in question. We will have to face up to that contradiction at some stage. If we are into the business of carbon trading, whereby many tonnes of carbon are stored and stocked, it is a contradiction to support what is happening in places like Brazil. It would be a good thing if we could send as many people as possible to the briefing.

Deputy Noel Treacy

When is the briefing taking place?

Chairman

It is taking place this Thursday, 24 January 2008, at 10 a.m. in the European Commission's offices on Molesworth Street, which is near Leinster House.

Deputy Timmy Dooley

In light of the difficulty some members might have in getting to the briefing, can I propose that information on it might be circulated through the secretariat?

Chairman

Does the Deputy want the information to be circulated to all members of the committee?

Deputy Timmy Dooley

Yes.

Chairman

That is agreed.

Is it agreed to note the copy of the EU news bulletin that has been sent to the committee? Agreed.

The committee has received an invitation to a conference on the role of second chambers in Europe, organised by the French Sénat and the Council of Europe, to be held in Paris on 21 February next. The conference is not being organised by the European Union. Perhaps the committee’s convenors will contact the secretariat when they have found members who wish to attend the conference. I presume the Members of the Upper House are more likely to be interested in this event. It is up to them. The conference is not being organised by the institutions of the EU.

A draft report on the attendance by a delegation of this committee at a conference on the role of national parliaments in the EU decision-making process, which took place in Ljubljana on 11 January last, has been submitted to the joint committee for consideration. Is the report approved? Approved. Is there anything in it with which members disagree? No. They are all in agreement. Excellent. That concludes the business of the meeting.

I wish to come back to my old hobby horse of whether we can have a meeting as soon as possible with those who oppose the reform treaty. I would like to see the colour of their money. Having discussions with such people is part and parcel of the democratic process. The Minister has given us a fairly broad hint as well. Perhaps members will consult the secretariat over the next week or so to outline their views in that regard, in the interests of solving this problem.

Senator Paschal Donohoe

I support what the Chairman is proposing. The Chairman said during the meeting that he intends to invite the Israeli ambassador and a Palestinian representative to attend a meeting of this committee to discuss what is happening in that region. That would be well worth doing. I would be grateful if the committee could be given a briefing in advance on the EU's current relationship with that region. Deputy Dooley asked how funds are being distributed there, for example. Do any conditions attach to the distribution of such funds? I would like to be much more educated on how the system works before I speak to any officials from the region.

Deputy Noel Treacy

I agree with Senator Donohoe that it would be useful to arrange a briefing session for the members of the committee. I dealt with this complex and intricate situation at EU level. A detailed update on the negative situation in the region is needed on foot of all the recent meetings of powerful people which have taken place.

While I accept the Chairman's enthusiasm to meet those who oppose the reform treaty, I remain to be convinced that it is the correct thing to do. Of course I will be guided by the wisdom of others. I suggest that we should review the matter in the first week of March before we decide whether it is necessary to have a summit. If such a meeting goes ahead, we will have to consider its structure and decide on a strategy for it.

Chairman

That would be all right. I am sure we will not be getting on the road before then anyway. I would like the committee to move in that direction. If one does not know what the other guy is saying, it is difficult for one to counteract him when one gets out into open territory. We will come back to that proposal at some future stage. This committee, like the EU itself, has more responsibilities than it had in the past. Members should not worry about inviting ambassadors to discuss the various issues which arise. There is no sense in doing it afterwards, in reaction to what has already happened. That point has already been made by members of the committee.

The joint committee adjourned at 3.35 p.m. until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 5 February 2008.