European and External Relations Committee, 16 Dec 2003

Meeting date: Tuesday, December 16, 2003

Official Report 312KB pdf

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Intergovernmental Conference

The fourth item on the agenda is an update on the intergovernmental conference. The issue has twisted and turned since we last discussed it, given recent developments. We thank the clerks for the helpful briefing note that they have supplied to us. Clearly, they had to turn that around fairly quickly, given the pace of events at the weekend.

The briefing note is self-explanatory. It explains the current position, in light of the fact that the constitution was not agreed at the weekend. Do members have comments? You will have an opportunity to put questions to the Minister for Europe in a couple of weeks, when he appears before us.

Shall we leave discussion of the matter until then?

Yes, unless members are seeking particular points of information.

I would like some information. A number of so-called red lines were laid down in respect of our position. I would like to know whether any of those issues were debated and determined or whether all that the heads of Government managed to get round to was talking about the voting issues.

The briefing from the clerks addresses some of those issues.

It says that they are not clear about what happened.

I am sure that we will seek clarification of that prior to the minister's appearance. We will provide members with a proper paper in the run-up to that meeting.

I suggest that after our meeting with Denis MacShane, which is only an hour long, we approach the Irish consul general in Edinburgh and attempt to arrange a meeting with him about the Irish presidency. That might yield a considerable amount of information, because the Irish are picking up the matter and having to run with it. There is a troika of Italy, Ireland and the Netherlands.

I remind the committee that we will receive our regular briefing from the ambassador from the country that holds the presidency. Early next year, we will hear from the Irish Government's representative on its priorities for the presidency.

I thank the clerks for the briefing paper, which is most helpful. I am disappointed and disgusted by some of the comments that have been made by so-called senior people in Europe, especially John Palmer, the political director of the European Policy Centre. He seems to condemn totally Poland and Spain for standing up for what they see as their interests. His remarks that they "have to learn" suggest a total turning-back on any element of democracy. Before the IGC, it was clear to many which decisions member states would fail to reach. The fault lies with those in Europe who tried to put too much into a constitution that was doomed to failure.

Phil Gallie would say that.

I have been saying it for the past two or three months.

He has said it again and it will be on the record again.