Apologies have been received from Senator David Norris who was here earlier but had to leave.
The minutes of our last meeting have been circulated. Are they agreed? Agreed.
Business of Joint Committee.
With regard to the minutes, has there been any follow-up on the human rights situation in Zimbabwe? I understand that the human rights activist and director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project was to forward information.
We asked Ms Jestina Mukoko to keep us informed in the new year. She will be in contact with us.
I beg the Chairman's pardon and seek his guidance on the agenda.
The next item is No. 2, EU scrutiny.
I do not have that.
We have letters dated 8 December and 15 December 2009.
Are we dealing with the minutes?
We have gone past the minutes.
Item No. 2 on my list is the impact of the budget.
Does the Deputy wish to raise an issue?
Yes. The problem is that I do not have the same agenda.
The next item is No. 2, EU scrutiny. We have letters dated 8 December and 15 December 2009 to the clerk regarding decisions taken by the Joint Committee on European Scrutiny on 8 December. It is proposed that it be noted. Is that agreed? Agreed.
Will the Chairman indicate the implications of agreeing to this? What are we doing by agreeing to it?
We have been informed by the clerk to the Joint Committee on European Scrutiny that there is no matter of concern for us in this regard and we have agreed to accept that.
Okay.
I believe this is one of the last occasions upon which we will have a communication in this form, except for such interim arrangements as are put in place. I do not intend to address the matter substantially today but it may be of interest to other members of the committee. One of the functions of the Lisbon treaty has been to change the relationship between citizens and parliaments, and especially to change the relationship between the European Parliament and the Commission. I do not propose to delay the meeting but I wish to give notice about the matter.
As a result of the Lisbon treaty being accepted and because it is now the governing instrument, there is a new relationship between parliaments and other institutions. That relationship includes the right of such bodies as parliaments may appoint to initiate, amend, stop, review and so forth. These are functions that have never been enjoyed by any scrutiny committee of the European Parliament. It would be useful if we put the matter down for future consideration. While we may make interim arrangements for European scrutiny which will go to the Joint Committee on European Affairs and which may from time to time refer to such matters as those referred to us, these are the dying days of such mechanisms. Three options present themselves by way of responsibility for the European Parliament as a result of the acceptance of the Lisbon treaty. There will be a view among those who maintain we can continue as before with post hoc scrutiny, which is of very little value. However, this would not honour the treaty because the treaty gives the right to parliaments to initiate, amend, stop and so forth.
Another mechanism involves the grafting of a proposal onto an extension of the relationship of the Executive to Parliament through the Department of Foreign Affairs. This will only go half way towards meeting the spirit of the treaty. The treaty creates an entirely new relationship between citizens, parliaments and appropriate committees. This committee may go along with developments as an adjunct in the interim period such that nothing is held up. During Christmas, there will be talks concerning how the European Parliament will exercise its new powers of initiation and amendment, powers which it did not hold before. Also, there are new powers of scrutiny. I announce on behalf of my party that it is not our intention to go for anything less than a new mechanism which will allow the full powers of the treaty to afford us transparency and the involvement of citizens in respect of European matters.
We will put that down to be discussed in detail at the next meeting. It is a very important point and this is a very important juncture. In addition to the points made there is also the question of earlier sight of proposals, an especially interesting matter.
The challenge will present in the making of proposals as well as the sight of other proposals.
Let us continue with the programme. I remind everyone to switch off their phones completely. They interfere with the recording equipment here even in silent mode. I note there are a large number of NGO personnel and ambassadors in the Gallery. I welcome everyone and I thank them for their assistance to the committee in the past year.
While we will come to correspondence during private session, it is important to use this meeting to pass a suitable resolution urging a positive, fair and just outcome at the conference in Copenhagen.
That is fair enough and I believe that would be agreed by everyone. Will the Deputy propose the resolution now or later?
I will do so now because I believe it is very important.
Is that agreed? Agreed.