It is appropriate, given that today is Europe Day, that several items of European legislation are before the committee today. Not everybody knows that today is Europe Day. We will hear more about it in the Dáil later on.
As the following proposed anti-dumping measures are similar, they are to be discussed together. No further scrutiny of them is proposed. COM (2011) 932 is an anti-dumping measure applicable to imports of ferro-silicon originating in Russia. COM (2011) 936 provides for an anti-dumping duty on imports of steel ropes and cables originating in China and Ukraine and consigned from Morocco, Moldova and Korea. COM (2012) 111 imposes an anti-dumping duty on imports of oxalic acid originating in India and China. COM (2012) 112 and COM (2012) 114 both provide for anti-dumping duties to be imposed on imports of tartaric acid originating in China. These separate proposals impose, maintain or terminate anti-dumping measures or investigations thereof. None of the proposals creates any difficulty for this country. We recommend that the proposals do not warrant further scrutiny. Is that agreed? Agreed.
COM (2012) 41 is a proposal to amend a Council regulation on protection against dumped imports from countries that are not members of the European Community. This proposal arises from a complaint made by China to the World Trade Organisation regarding aspects of the EU anti-dumping regulation and the subsequent settlement of that complaint. The Chinese complaint was upheld by the WTO, thus requiring an amendment to EU legislation. The purpose of the proposal is to implement a decision in relation to this matter. Ireland supports this measure. It is not proposed that this proposal warrants further scrutiny. Is that agreed? Agreed.
I would like to propose the formal conclusion of the joint committee's consideration of COM (2011) 788, which relates to the Erasmus programme. When the Minister for Education and Skills attended a meeting of the committee last week, reference was made to our formal scrutiny of this proposal. Following our useful discussion on this proposal with the Minister, Deputy Quinn, I wish to formally conclude the committee's scrutiny of it by suggesting that no further scrutiny is warranted and proposing to write to the Minister to inform him of the committee's decision in this regard.
COM (2012) 130, which is a proposal for a Council regulation on the exercise of the right to take collective action within the context of freedom of establishment and freedom to provide services, is for further scrutiny. This proposal touches on a number of complex issues. It tries to balance Single Market rights and fundamental social rights, following EU court rulings. If the regulation is adopted, it will lay down the general rules and principles applicable at Union level with respect to the exercise of the fundamental right to take collective action within the context of freedom of establishment and freedom to provide services. Based on the information provided by the lead Department regarding the significance of this proposal, if agreed, and in light of the fact that other EU member states have expressed subsidiarity concerns and other concerns about the proposal, it is proposed that this proposal warrants further scrutiny. I propose that further scrutiny of COM (2012) 130 should take place next week when officials from the Department are in attendance. I propose that further scrutiny of COM (2012) 131 should take place on the same day. Is that agreed? Agreed.