European and External Relations Committee, 13 Jan 2009

Meeting date: Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Official Report 150KB pdf

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“Brussels Bulletin”

Item 5 is the "Brussels Bulletin". Do members want to raise or note any issues in the document?

We talked about writing to the Health and Sport Committee about the cross-border health directive. Did we do that? If so, what was the committee's response?

We wrote to Health and Sport Committee and the directive was discussed at the EMILE meeting. The Health and Sport Committee is extremely busy and I understand that it will keep a watching brief on the directive. We have passed on all the information to that committee, but I understand that it is busy and that it has no time for an inquiry.

Do members want to raise other issues?

On bank support, a proposal has been made

"to increase bank deposit guarantees from €20,000 to €100,000",

which probably equates to an increase from £20,000 to £100,000 now. That proposal will be important.

That reference is on page 5 of the bulletin.

Yes. The same page mentions pesticides—Alex Neil will be fascinated—and says that the pesticides package will receive its second reading today. That is important for rural people, because some of the original proposals would have had an adverse effect on the Scottish rural scene. I am just noting that.

We will ensure that Ian Duncan keeps us up to date with that. I notice on page 5 that

"Montenegro has filed a formal application for EU membership".

That is interesting. As members have no more comments, we will note the "Brussels Bulletin".

We agreed at our previous meeting to take the next item in private, so I close the public part of the meeting and thank members of the public for their attendance.

We will take a short break to set up the videoconferencing equipment.

Meeting continued in private until 12:16.