European and External Relations Committee

Meeting date: Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Official Report 348KB pdf

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European Commission Work Programme

Item 4 is consideration of a final paper on the European Commission work programme. We saw most of the paper last time round. We had some discussion at our previous meeting about adding in structural funds/cohesion policy as an area that Ian Duncan would keep a close eye on, and that has been added to the paper, as has the submission from the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee. Submissions are still outstanding from the Health and Sport Committee and the Justice Committee, which will consider the work programme at their meetings on 23 June and 29 June, respectively.

The committee is invited to endorse the findings of the report subject to any amendments being made once the outstanding submissions are received; to confirm the proposals that are listed in appendices I and II, which will form the basis of Ian Duncan’s work programme; and to consider the thematic issues and proposals in which we should engage and the form that that engagement should take.

Do members have any comments? We have just agreed that we want to have a bit of a look at the cross-border health directive. It might be useful to highlight that at this stage.

I have a couple of pretty minor points to make. Page 5 of annex A says “join event” when it should say “joint event”. That is just a point of pedantry.

It proves that you read the committee papers.

My other comment is on paragraph 4 on page 6. As I have just said, I do not consider the targets particularly ambitious and I do not think that we need to be as subjective about them. The paper should be more objective and refer simply to “the targets”.

I am happy to agree that. With those amendments, can we agree the paper?

Members indicated agreement.

The next item is our Lisbon treaty inquiry, and we have agreed to take the rest of the agenda items in private. I thank members of the public for their attendance.

11:38 Meeting continued in private until 12:38.