European and External Relations Committee, 31 Mar 2009
Meeting date: Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Official Report
236KB pdf
European Elected Members Information Liaison and Exchange Network
Item 5 is a brief oral update on a meeting of the European elected members information liaison and exchange network meeting, which I attended on the committee's behalf. It was the first meeting of the Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution and I reported on the committee's work programme and highlighted various things in which we were involved, including our spring conference.
We received an update on the EU office from Donald Henderson, who was here earlier, and an update on the European Parliament elections; discussed cross-border health care; had a presentation on Europol; and decided to invite Richard Lochhead to the next meeting, at which we would also discuss the working time directive and the future of these meetings. I have to say that there is a slight feeling that these meetings have lost their focus. Their original intention was to agree a team Scotland approach and to bring together MPs, MSPs, MEPs and people who were arguing Scotland's case in Europe in order to pick one or two issues on which we would lobby each year. The minister has indicated his willingness to look again at whether the format is correct, whether it meets at the right time and so on. To be honest, I think that we should welcome that.
We will keep members informed of the date of the next meeting, which members are welcome to attend. The meetings are usually held every quarter but, as the European elections are being held in June, we have decided to miss the next quarter. The next meeting will be some time in September, and I will give members the date as soon as we have it.
As we have agreed to take item 6 in private, I bring the public part of the meeting to a close.
Meeting continued in private until 12:31.