There are a number of items of correspondence which require our attention. The first relates to EU scrutiny. The Sub-Committee on European Scrutiny has examined a proposal which falls within the remit of the Department of Foreign Affairs. The proposal is Council Regulation COM (2002) 745 concerning certain restrictive measures in respect of Somalia. It built on adopted UN Security Council resolutions concerning an arms embargo relating to Somalia and is quite technical in nature. The proposed regulation would result in the prohibition of financial assistance including grants, loans and export credit insurance for any sale, supply, transfer or export of arms or related materials to any entity in Somalia, where there has been internal strife for a number of years. The regulation would also encompass technical advice and assistance.
In December 2002, the Council of Ministers adopted a common position under the Maastricht treaty on the Common Foreign and Security Policy on the question of an arms embargo. The common position instructs the member states to ensure that their national policies conform to the common position. Security Council resolutions such as those that led to the common position in question tend to be brought into effect in this manner to ensure they are implemented in a uniform way across the Union and are binding on citizens as well as states. The sub-committee has recommended that no further scrutiny is necessary given the proposal's technical nature and UN basis. Does the committee agree with this recommendation? Agreed.
The second item of correspondence is from Amnesty International, the Irish Centre for Human Rights, Irish Falun Dafa Association regarding human rights concerns within China. I suggest this matter be referred to the Sub-Committee on Human Rights which will have its first meeting next week. Is that agreed? Agreed.
The last item is a letter from Deputy Sean Fleming on behalf of a support group against the death penalty in the United States. I suggest this item be referred to the Sub-Committee on Human Rights. Is that agreed? Agreed.