JOINT COMMITTEE ON EUROPEAN AFFAIRS díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 7 Oct 2008

Business of Joint Committee.

Chairman

The draft minutes of the meeting of 24 September have been circulated. Are they agreed? Agreed.

Correspondence received since the last meeting has been circulated. No. 213 is the Schuman letter, and the issue for 22 September is the European Union in the face of the financial crisis: what answers can be given? It is proposed to note this. Is that agreed? Agreed.

No. 214 is from Fondation Robert Schuman, and the issue for 29 September is demography, immigration and integration. It is proposed to note this. Is that agreed? Agreed.

No. 215 is the EU news bulletin, No. 52 of September 2008. It is proposed to note this. Is that agreed? Agreed.

No. 216 is correspondence from the Embassy of Greece to Ireland regarding an article by members of the United States Senate. It is proposed to note this. Is that agreed? Agreed.

No. 217 is an e-mail from the University of Hull regarding a survey on European Security and Defence Policy, ESDP. The correspondence has been previously circulated to members by e-mail and includes a link to the on-line questionnaire, which should not take more than ten minutes to answer. I encourage members to participate in the survey via the on-line questionnaire. It is proposed to note this. Is that agreed? Agreed.

No. 218 is an invitation to attend the EAPN Ireland roundtable on the subject of the 2010 European year against poverty and social exclusion, to be held tomorrow, 8 October, in the Carmelite Centre, Aungier Street, Dublin 2. The main aim of the event is to inform the Government's programme for the year and the conference commences at 9.15 a.m.

No. 219 is an invitation from the Friends of Europe to attend The State of Europe, the fifth annual VIP policy summit roundtable on Thursday, 9 October 2008, in Brussels. The Chairman has agreed to represent the committee at this meeting as the invitation was made directly to him but other members may attend if they wish. If there are no volunteers, the Chairman will attend on the committee's behalf and will do the best he can, given the circumstances.

Deputy Noel Treacy

He represents the committee with distinction and we have the utmost confidence in him.

Chairman

No. 220 is an invitation to the European Union Committee of the Regions subsidiarity assizes on Friday, 24 October 2008, in Paris. Is it proposed that members attend? Members should consider doing so because the committee needs to keep an eye on anything that might influence the way forward. Members who want to attend should give notice to the secretariat.

No. 221 is an invitation to a European policy summit, Saving Europe's Water: Its Place in the EU's Green Strategy. It is co-organised by Friends of Europe and the European Water Partnership and will be held on Wednesday, 5 November 2008, in Brussels. This is more appropriate to the Joint Committee on the Environment, Heritage and Local Government but no member of this committee is precluded from attending, should he or she wish to do so.

No. 222 is an invitation from the Crans Montana forum to participate in the tenth international summit on transnational crime, which will be held on 13 and 14 November 2008 in the French National Assembly, Paris. This appears to be more within the remit of the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights. Unless a member particularly wishes to attend, is it agreed to refer this invitation to the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights? Agreed.

No. 223 is an invitation to the A Soul for Europe conference in Berlin on 14 and 15 November 2008. The participants will debate the idea of giving the external economic and political framework a cultural core that is rooted in Europe's civil society. It was already agreed in principle that members attend this meeting. Additional material has been distributed.

Deputy Michael Mulcahy

I attended this meeting two years ago and it is quite important. It deals with cultural diversity and loss of culture within Europe. It is a very highbrow conference and many of Europe's leaders attend. It should be open to members to attend if appropriate.

Deputy Noel Treacy

Deputy Mulcahy should be sent to the conference for a second time.

Deputy Michael Mulcahy

I might be available but we should examine it further and leave it open.

Chairman

Is it agreed that a member who wishes to attend may do so, as we have previously agreed to send a representative? Agreed.

No. 224 relates to decisions taken by the Joint Committee on European Scrutiny on 23 September. Correspondence received from the Joint Committee on European Scrutiny detailed the decisions taken at its meeting of 23 September 2008, which are noted.

No. 225 is an e-mail request plus enclosures from Valerie Hughes, Kosovo Ireland Solidarity Group, asking the Joint Committee on European Affairs to agree to meet with Mr. Kurt Bassuener, director of the Sarajevo-based Democratisation Policy Council, during his visit to Ireland on 11 November 2008. Does the committee wish to meet with Mr. Bassuener? It may be an interesting meeting in the context of the committee's interest in the western Balkans and we should meet with him, either formally or informally. Is that agreed? Agreed.

No. 226 is an invitation to the committee to submit a paper or abstract to the seventh international conference on politics and information systems, technologies and applications, PISSTA 2009, which will take place in Orlando, Florida, on 10 and 11 July 2009. There might be a summer in Ireland next year so members may not want to leave the jurisdiction.

Deputy Noel Treacy

There could be an escape of summer.

Chairman

This is an invitation to the Chairman to attend. We will return to the issue, if necessary. I have heard that the weather is not good in Florida.

Deputy Noel Treacy

We should revisit it in the spring.

Chairman

If there are no further matters, it is proposed that the joint committee go into private session for the remainder of the meeting. Is that agreed? Agreed.

The joint committee went into private session at 4.20 p.m. and adjourned at 4.35 p.m. until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 21 October 2008.