European Committee, 05 Nov 2002
Meeting date: Tuesday, November 5, 2002
Official Report
114KB pdf
Convener's Report
The next item on the agenda is the convener's report. I am pleased to be able to report to the committee that, at the most recent meeting of the Committee of the Regions, a resolution was passed on the solidarity fund.
Colleagues will recall from our report on structural funds that the committee is interested in progressing such a fund in relation to floods and disasters. It is good news that the Committee of the Regions has endorsed fully the fund. A copy of the resolution is in the committee papers. The European Parliament also supports the initiative. I had a meeting with Commissioner Schreyer, the budget commissioner, who was also happy to support it. My understanding is that, subject to approval at the Council of Ministers meeting this month, the initiative will go ahead. That is welcome news for the committee. We put the matter in our report and copied the report to the Commission and the European Parliament. The Committee of the Regions took up the matter on our behalf. I am pleased to report that to the committee.
On the Executive's response to our letter on structural funds, the recommendation is that we note the fact that the Executive is confident that the in-house research team has adequate data and statistics to inquire into alternatives to ward-based approaches for future objective 2 programmes. Through the European structural funds forum, we will try to keep abreast of developments in the Executive's policy on structural funds and continue to promote the ideas and recommendations of our report. Do members agree to the recommendation?
Members indicated agreement.
The next item is the letter from the Scottish Executive on the EC proposals on animal welfare during transportation. We have a helpful letter from Ross Finnie on the state of play of the EC proposals. I suggest that we welcome the letter and continue to work in partnership with the Executive and Scotland's members of the European Parliament. The last time that I was in Brussels, I discussed the matter with MEPs from my own party. Do members agree to my suggestion?
Members indicated agreement.
I ask members to note tomorrow's and Thursday's planned meetings with our counterparts in Flanders and Catalonia. I hope that all committee members will attend. We have copies of the programme. Perhaps at the end of the meeting the clerks will run through the details of the arrangements.
I also ask members to note that we have received an invitation to a conference on corporate social responsibility that is to be hosted by the Danish presidency. The conference is by invitation only, so it is important to acknowledge that a committee member has been invited to attend. In keeping with our aim of sharing events among committee members, and given the fact that Dennis Canavan wrote a report on employment for the committee, it is fitting to invite Dennis to represent the committee at the conference. He has indicated that he is willing to do so. Do members agree to that representation on the committee's behalf?
Members indicated agreement.
Thank you, convener.
I want to raise one point about Peter Peacock's letter on his meeting with Commissioner Barnier and structural funds. We are now approaching the n+2 time, which means that if we do not spend money within two years, instead of the money going back to the Treasury, it will go back to the European Union. Could we seek from the Executive a situation report on how much of its funding is in danger of being returned?
I am happy to do that. A date has been agreed for some time in November for the structural funds forum. We can raise the issue then if we have not received the report from the Executive.