JOINT COMMITTEE ON JOBS, SOCIAL PROTECTION AND EDUCATION díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 29 Feb 2012

Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals

Chairman

The next item on our agenda is the scrutiny of EU legislative proposals, of which there are eight today. The first proposal for further scrutiny is COM (2011) 834, a regulation establishing a programme for competitiveness and enterprise in SMEs. The SMEs are recognised as a major source of economic growth and job creation in the EU. Promoting the competitiveness of EU small and medium-sized enterprises is a key goal of the Europe 2020 strategy. The proposed regulation will establish a dedicated competitiveness and SME programme to assist in achieving that key goal. The proposed budget allocation for the programme for 2014 to 2020 is €2.5 billion. An important aspect of the programme will be a provision to allow SMEs to access finance more easily. The proposal is welcomed by the lead Department and negotiations on the proposal will continue at EU level during 2012 and 2013.

In view of the potential importance of the proposal for Irish SMEs, it is proposed that it warrants further scrutiny. Do members wish to comment?

Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh

I suggest that we scrutinise the proposal further and ask the Department's officials to attend and give us more information on it, especially as it may offer small companies equity. At that stage we might consider inviting in some of the business organisations to ask them their views and how the proposal can be changed and altered to suit Irish circumstances.

Deputy Anthony Lawlor

I second the proposal to give them an opportunity to make recommendations that might be turned into EU law later on.

Chairman

Is it agreed that we will ask the Department to brief us on it, on foot of which we may decide to get written submissions from various groups, and invite them in if we need to take things further. Is that agreed? Agreed.

It is proposed that the next group of proposals warrant no further scrutiny: COM (2011) 720 - the accession of the Russian Federation to the World Trade Organisation; COM (2011) 721 - exchange of letters between the European Union and the Russian Federation; COM (2011) 722 - exchange of letters between the EU and the Russian Federation; COM (2011) 723 - agreement between the EU and the Russian Federation on trade in components of motor vehicles; COM (2011) 725 - agreement between the EU and the Russian Federation on trade in components of motor vehicles; COM (2011) 726 - exchange of letters between the EU and the Russian Federation relating to tariff-rate quotas; and COM (2011) 728 - exchange of letters between the EU and the Russian Federation. These seven proposals are technical in nature, arising from the accession of the Russian Federation to the World Trade Organisation after 18 years of negotiations. Ireland and the EU support the accession of the Russian Federation to the WTO, particularly in view of the potential importance of that market to Ireland and the EU. As these are technical proposals which Ireland supports, it is proposed that they do not warrant further scrutiny. Is that agreed? Agreed.