European and External Relations Committee, 03 Feb 2004

Meeting date: Tuesday, February 3, 2004

Official Report 171KB pdf

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Convener's Report

The next item on the agenda is the convener's report. There are only two matters in it, both of which are self-explanatory.

The first is an update on the planned visit to the Catalan Parliament for a meeting of NORPEC—the network of regional parliamentary European committees. The event is to be hosted by the Catalan Parliament, and our committee and the equivalent Catalan committee are to meet to discuss how to take NORPEC forward. The trip is scheduled for early March, although we are still working out the exact details, with which we will get back to members later. Are members happy with the recommendation?

I am happy with the recommendation. It is perhaps because I am relatively new to the committee, but I was wondering whether we could have a background briefing on NORPEC and its membership. Is the autumn conference in Edinburgh for the entire network?

At the moment, NORPEC effectively comprises just two committees: ourselves and the Catalans. The purpose of the meeting is to progress NORPEC with regard to new members.

Is it intended to be the parliamentary equivalent of the regions with legislative power—Regleg—with which the Executive is involved?

I understand from the deliberations of the previous European Committee that we are talking about membership comprising committees of Parliaments in Europe that have primary legislative responsibilities. We will have to discuss with the Catalans in March who should be invited to join NORPEC, and how to respond to anyone who approaches us with a view to joining.

Are the favoured dates for the event still 8 and 9 March? I realise that it is subject to confirmation.

We will circulate provisional details to members shortly. The favoured dates are 8 and 9 March because of a trade mission that is being organised by either Scottish Development International or the Scottish Food and Drink Federation, I think. Its delegates will be in Barcelona at the same time, so members might find it useful to be there when the trade mission is going on.

It is worth reading NORPEC's November 2003 newsletter, which gives the background to the issues. I say that particularly for the benefit of Keith Raffan.

Sorry?

I am talking about the November 2003 newsletter. It was distributed to members—I am not sure, but additional copies might have been circulated today. The newsletter provides background on NORPEC.

The second item under the convener's report is the inward visit of the Czech Republic's European integration committee, whose members intend provisionally to come to Edinburgh in April. This committee has built up a good relationship with its Czech counterpart. Given the enlargement of the EU, I hope that everyone agrees that it is appropriate that we give the Czech committee members a warm welcome, and that we all turn out to greet them and have discussions with them. I invite the committee to express its support for that visit.

I am totally in favour of the visit—I was in Czechoslovakia during the velvet revolution. We are creating a precedent, and I would like to know what our position is in relation to some of the other countries that are joining the EU and with which we have long-standing connections, such as Lithuania, the other Baltic states and Poland. Are we going to invite delegations from several countries over two or three years, or are we going to wait until they approach us?

The visit has been arranged following meetings between representatives of the two committees. A parliamentary delegation went to Prague a few months ago and I had an informal meeting with the chair of the Czech committee when I was on holiday in Prague. Such meetings have not happened with all the other relevant committees, so it is up to this committee to decide whether we wish to invite those other committees.

I am aware of that, and it underlines the point. I remember that we had a visit from Czech senators about a year or 18 months ago. There is a lot of coming and going between Scotland and the Czech Republic, but I am concerned that we should also have a lot of coming and going between us and the other countries that are coming into the EU.

We have discussed several times in the past how to mark the enlargement of the EU in our dealings with other European committees from the countries that are joining. I suggest that we put the matter on to a future agenda, so we can have another quick chat about it.

The subject is important. The various consuls in Edinburgh will be aware of what is happening and it is important that we are open to the idea of visits—delegations to and delegations from countries that are to join the EU.

We have discussed the matter previously and there has been positive feedback from the committee about dealing with and meeting other countries' European committees.

Many of the accession states are setting up consulates general in Scotland, Estonia being an example that springs to mind. Keith Raffan talks a lot about Lithuania, but we should not forget Estonia. We should recognise that those links will develop over the next few months.

We should not just say, "We will meet X, Y and Z", however. We must consider the bigger picture and invite consuls or representatives of all the accession countries at some point, even if that happens only informally. Perhaps the committee could hold a reception—I do not know what would be the easiest event for our staff to organise. I think that that will be an on-going feast for the next wee while.

Okay. If members are happy about that and have no further comments to make on the convener's report, I ask the clerks to put the matter on the agenda of either our next meeting or the one after it.