European Committee, 21 Mar 2000

Meeting date: Tuesday, March 21, 2000

Official Report 182KB pdf

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Scrutiny

The next item is the scrutiny of European documentation.

For the following document, the recommendation is for priority scrutiny:

SP 857 (EC Ref No 6206/00)

We recommend that we appoint a reporter for that document, to deliberate on it and to bring back recommendations to the committee. Are there any volunteers among those who have already been involved in such matters?

Without volunteering—

Good man, Ben.

This goes to the Fisheries Council on 3 April and our next meeting is on 4 April, so the time scale is brief. I would recommend someone who knows a lot about fisheries.

As a North-East Scotland MSP, you—

But I will not be here on 4 April.

From what I can gather, the date of the Fisheries Council might be moved. Do we need to bring a report back to our committee on 4 April? Ben will not be here. Do we have any other volunteers? No one is clamouring. We will ask the clerks to produce a report on that.

For the following document, the recommendation is for routine scrutiny:

SP 837 (EC Ref No 5119/00 COM(99) 654)

It is recommended that the document should be referred to the Rural Affairs Committee. Is that agreed?

Members indicated agreement.

The following documents are recommended for deferral:

SP 653

SP 659 (EC Ref No 14114/99 COM(99) 608 99/246 CNS)

SP 768 (EC Ref No 5635/00 COM(99) 686)

Can we get a copy of the proposal regarding the European refugee fund? Will a copy be available for any member who wants it?

I would be delighted to provide a copy to Mr Canavan. Of course, all members can come to me after the meeting and I will take requests for documents. For the record, a complete set of documents is contained in the Scottish Parliament information centre. Members can always get a copy there if one of the clerks is not available.

Thank you.

For the following documents, the recommendation is for no further action, but to copy them to other committees for interest:

SP 804 (EC Ref No 5971/00 COM(2000) 153)

SP 820 (EC Ref No 6054/00 COM(2000) 47 COD 2000/0035)

SP 824 (EC Ref No 6057/00 COM(2000) 56)

SP 829 (EC Ref No 6055/00 COM(2000) 1)

SP 832 (EC Ref No 5643/00 COM(2000) 6)

SP 834 (EC Ref No 6232/00 COM(2000) 42 2000/0040 (COD))

SP 835 (EC Ref No 6273/00 COM(2000) 81)

SP 838 (EC Ref No 5795/00 COM(2000) 26)

SP 839 (EC Ref No 6076/00 SEC(2000) 190)

Is that agreed?

Members indicated agreement.

We are recommending no further action on the documents on pages 5 to 8.

Is not SP 840 relevant to our inquiry on additionality? It is the special report of the Court of Auditors, concerning the principle of additionality. Would it be worth while our studying that, in view of our current inquiry?

Yes, that was the recommendation. We recognised that it was relevant to the inquiry. We will circulate a copy to all committee members. The version of the Court of Auditors report that we have received, while it lists the Commission's replies, is not the official version. I will try to obtain the official version and circulate that to members.

Document 824 refers to the fourth phase of SLIM—I should know what SLIM is. Given my dual role in the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee and our reference thereto of this item, can somebody advise me precisely what the fourth phase of SLIM entails?

I am afraid that my knowledge of what SLIM means in the initiative may be just the same as that of members. SLIM stands for simpler legislation for the internal market.

I am in favour of that.

Bruce Crawford may be interested in SP 822 (EC Ref No 5297/00 COM(2000) 57), which is the euro document.

Should SP 695 (EC Ref No 5118/00 COM(99) 664), which is the

"Proposal for a Council Regulation providing for the general rules for a compulsory beef labelling system"

be submitted to the Rural Affairs Committee?

Perhaps this committee will be interested in SP 847 (EC Ref 6344/00 COM(2000) 155), which is the Commission's work programme for the rest of the year.

We have already alerted the Rural Affairs Committee to SP 695, and it has a copy of the document.

Bruce Crawford, who is the committee's reporter on the euro, should have received a copy of SP 822, but, if he has not, I am happy to provide him with one. We have attempted to make documents in this sift available to members carrying out relevant inquiries. For example, the Commission's paper on environmental liability has been drawn to the attention of Sylvia Jackson.

The paper on environmental liability suggests that the "polluter pays" principle should be extended to include damage to nature, especially to natural resources that are important for conservation and biological diversity.

With those caveats, are the recommendations agreed?

Have we reached the third pillar yet?

Yes. We have taken the documents on pages 5 to 8 together.

Does the committee have any responsibility for ensuring that Scottish police forces know about these documents? Can we safely assume that the Executive passes on the information to the police forces?

We can check on that and respond to Dennis Canavan directly.

The committee recommended that no further action be taken on the following documents:

SP 678 (EC Ref No 5091/00 COM(99) 717 99/0284)

SP 695 (EC Ref No 5118/00 COM(99) 664)

SP 800 (EC Ref No 12073/2/99 REV 2)

SP 803 (EC Ref No 5966/00 COM(2000) 40)

SP 806 (EC Ref No 6042/00 COM(2000) 49)

SP 821 (EC Ref No 6078/00 COM(2000) 59)

SP 822 (EC Ref No 5297/00 COM(2000) 57)

SP 830 (EC Ref No 6337/00)

SP 833 (EC Ref No 6230/00 ENV 41)

SP 840 (EC Ref No 6133/00)

SP 842 (EC Ref No 6284/00 COM(2000) 84)

SP 843 (EC Ref No 6304/00)

SP 844 (EC Ref No 6305/00)

SP 845 (EC Ref No 6306/00)

SP 846 (EC Ref No 6343/00)

SP 847 (EC Ref No 6344/00 COM(2000) 155)

SP 848 (EC Ref No 6345/00 COM(2000) 91)

SP 849 (EC Ref No 6408/00 COM(2000) 74)

SP 850 (EC Ref No 6459/00 COM(2000) 95 CNS 2000/42)

SP 851 (EC Ref No 6487/00)

SP 852 (EC Ref No 6510/00 COM(2000) 90)

SP 853 (EC Ref No 13835/99 SEC(99) 685)

SP 854 (EC Ref No 5604/00 COM(2000) 41)

SP 855 (EC Ref No 5686/00 COM(2000) 43)

SP 856 (EC Ref No 6077/00 COM(2000) 64)

SP 862 (EC Ref No 6124/00)

SP 863 (EC Ref No 6283/00)

SP 802 (EC Ref No 5962/00 SEC(2000) 168)

SP 825 (EC Ref No 6250/00)

SP 826 (EC Ref No 11350/99)

SP 859 (EC Ref No 5434/00)

SP 738 (EC Ref No 5706/00 COPEN 2)

SP 828 (EC Ref No 6296/00 COPEN 10 COMIX 176)

SP 831 (EC Ref No 12381/4/99 REV 4 CRIMORG 154)

SP 836 (EC Ref No 6297/00 COPEN 11 COMIX 177)

SP 841 (EC Ref No 9423/5/99 REV 5 CRIMORG 80)

SP 858 (EC Ref No 6640/00)

SP 860 (EC Ref No 5485/00)

SP 861 (EC Ref No 5488/00)

SP 827 (EC Ref No COM(2000) 34)