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EU Presidency.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 May 2004

Wednesday, 26 May 2004

Ceisteanna (141)

Charlie O'Connor

Ceist:

155 Mr. O’Connor asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will report on his Department’s endeavours in respect of Ireland’s EU Presidency; and his plans for the remainder of the term. [15756/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As I have previously advised the House, I am responsible for a wide range of EU Presidency business across the sectoral policy areas of telecommunications, energy, broadcasting, fisheries, maritime transport and maritime safety. I also hold commensurate chairing responsibilities for the agriculture and fisheries, transport, energy and telecommunications and education, youth and culture Council formations.

Together with my officials, I have been working to deliver on policy priorities at EU level during the Presidency within the Government's overall strategic approach to the EU. I outlined these priorities to the House on a number of previous occasions.

As I have previously stated when speaking about the telecommunications sector, the development and take-up of broadband infrastructure and services remains a key priority, which is central to the e-Europe 2005 action plan. Following the mid-term review of the action plan, which was endorsed at the Council of Telecoms Ministers in March, it has now been revised to take account of recent technological developments and the enlargement of the EU and will feature on the agenda of the forthcoming Telecoms Council to be held on 14 June. In addition, the Council will respond to the Commission communication on member states' national broadband strategies.

The issue of broadband take-up was also the subject of a very successful ministerial meeting held recently in Dundalk. A very fruitful discussion was generated in response to papers given by a number of international experts, while Ministers also had the opportunity to exchange views on future strategies with CEOs from leading ICT companies from around Europe.

In addition, significant progress has been made with current legislative proposals in the telecoms area, namely, eContent plus and Safer Internet plus, particularly given the very limited time available to us during our Presidency in the outgoing European Parliament. Ministers will be asked to agree a Council position on these dossiers at our June Council.

Turning now to energy, I am satisfied that the priority areas identified in that area are progressing well. Sustainable energy was identified as being an important element in the sustainable development of the European economy. In that regard we are continuing to work towards achieving a political agreement at the energy Council in June on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and the Council on establishing a framework for the setting of eco-design requirements for energy using products.

I will also be attending the forthcoming international conference for renewable energies to be held in Bonn in June next. The Irish Presidency is actively collaborating with the Commission and Council secretariat in working towards the establishment of a common energy position for the EU on this important issue.

The other main priority was in progressing the various elements of the Commission's recently published infrastructure package. We are working towards achieving political agreement on the gas transmission proposal at the June Energy Council. The proposal relating to trans-European networks is also expected to be discussed at the June Council. The remaining elements of the Commission's infrastructure package, security of electricity supply and demand side management, are somewhat more contentious and, given the elections to the European Parliament, the progress that can be made during the Irish Presidency is limited. Nonetheless, we will have completed a lot of important work on these dossiers by the end of our Presidency.

We also recently held a very successful two day high level meeting of energy directors general from all 25 member states in Drogheda where EU external relations, energy aspects of climate change and the Commission's infrastructure package were discussed.

On broadcasting, I have been giving particular priority to progressing a structured debate on the regulation of satellite television broadcasters as well as advancing the overall review of the television without frontiers directive. To this end, I hosted an informal meeting of EU Ministers, with responsibility for broadcasting, in Dublin and Drogheda from 1-3 March. One of the specific issues that Ministers discussed at some length during the conference was the regulation of broadcasting services which are specifically targeted at one member state but are actually subject to the national regulations of another member state. I intend to give member states a further opportunity to consider this and other related topics at this month's meeting of the Education, Youth and Culture Council scheduled for 27 May 2004.

On maritime safety, we are continuing to progress the proposed directive on sanctions for pollution offenders and the implementation of new maritime security measures for Irish ports and ships. The security measures will be in place by the required deadline 1 July 2004 and I hope to be in a position to bring the proposed directive on pollution to the Council of Ministers' meeting in Luxembourg this coming June.

In the area of fisheries, I have already achieved a number of the targets I set at the commencement of the Presidency. The Council has adopted proposals relating to the protection of small cetaceans; protection of an area of deep water coral reefs off Scotland known as the Darwin Mounds; aid for fishing fleets in the outermost regions of the Community; and measures on autonomous Community tariff quotas on certain fisheries products. Agreement has been achieved by the Presidency on a number of third country fisheries agreements, including between the Community and Norway, the Community and Tanzania and the Community and the Solomon Islands. The Presidency has also progressed the development of conservation and management strategies in various regional fisheries organisations, including the north west and north east Atlantic together with the Baltic Sea.

The enlargement process for fisheries has been successfully completed in time for the accession of the ten new member states on 1 May. A successful ministerial and stakeholders conference on fast tracking the development of environmentally friendly fishing methods was held in March, and it is hoped to build on this with the adoption of Council conclusions in June.

This week and continuing next month, the Council will discuss a number of other measures, including a Council regulation on fixing maximum fishing effort in western waters; the establishment of regional advisory councils; and structural funding for the aquaculture and fishing sectors. A policy debate at the June Council on technical conservation measures for the Mediterranean may also be held.

Developments are being highlighted on an ongoing basis on my Department's website www.dcmnr.ie and on the Irish Presidency website www.eu2004.ie

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