Committee Reports > List of Committees > Joint > 2001 > Committee on European Affairs > Annual Report - Joint Committee on European Affairs 1997-1998

Annual Report of the Joint Committee on European Affairs

1. Introduction

The Joint Committee on European Affairs which was established by Order of Dáil Éireann of 13th November, 1997 and Order of Seanad Éireann of 19th November, 1997 is required under paragraphs 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Standing Order 79A, Dáil Éireann and paragraphs 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Standing Order 63, Seanad Éireann to make an annual report to both Houses of the Oireachtas. This report outlines:

The Orders of Reference are set out at Appendix 1.

2. Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Convenors and Membership

Deputy Bernard J. Durkan was elected as Chairman of the Joint Committee on 10 December 1997. Deputy Séamus Kirk was elected as Vice-Chairman of the Joint Committee on 10 December 1997. The Chairman of the Joint Committee is also Chairman of the Dáil Select Committee.

Deputies Pat Carey and Jack Wall are the Convenors of the Committee whose function it is to ensure the availability and attendance of Members or their substitutes for meetings of the Committee and, in particular, to ensure Members’ availability for divisions. The Committee welcomed the membership of Deputy Jim O’Keeffe with effect from 29^th June 2000 to replace Deputy Gay Mitchell and Deputy Nora Owen with effect from 29^th March 2001 to replace Deputy Ulick Burke and Deputy John Bruton with effect from 4^th October, 2001 to replace Deputy Phil Hogan

The Members of the Joint Committee are set out at Appendix 2.

3. Meetings, Attendance and Recording

Meetings of the Joint Committee took place in Committee Rooms in Leinster House 2000. Meetings were in public unless otherwise ordered by the Joint Committee.

Televised coverage of public meetings of the Joint Committee was broadcast live within the Leinster House complex and was available for subsequent public broadcasting by R.T.É. and other T.V./Radio service.

Copies of reports published by the Joint Committee may be obtained from the Clerk, Joint Committee on European Affairs, Kildare House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. A list of these reports is set out at Section 5.

4. Numbers and Duration of Meetings

The Joint Committee met on 39 occasions in the year under report. The number of hours discussion involved in these meetings was in excess of 53 hours. The date and subject matter of each meeting is set out at Appendix 3.

Records of attendance by Members of the Joint Committee and their duly nominated substitutes at meetings of the Joint Committee are set out at Appendix 4.

Minutes of proceedings of the Joint Committee meetings in public session are attached at Appendix 6.

The Joint Committee welcome the participation of members of the European Parliament at a number of meetings during the year.

A list of conferences and meetings, which the Joint Committee was represented, is at Appendix 5.

5. Joint Committee Reports

During the year under report the Joint Committee published the following reports:

6. Work in Progress

The Joint Committee has the following work in progress at present:

The 2002 Draft Work Programme is attached at Appendix 7.

Tithe an Oireachtais

Houses of the Oireachtas

An Comhchoiste um Ghnóthaí Eorpacha

Joint Committee on European Affairs

Tuarascáil ar an gComhdháil faoi Chomhar Idirpharlaiminteach ,Beirlín

13 Meitheamh 2007

REuropean Parliamentort of Conference on Interparliamentary Cooperation, Berlin

13 June 2007

Meitheamh 2007

June 2007

Background

The process of European Integration involves the transfer of some responsibilities, which were previously exercised by national governments, to the European institutions. This process of transfer of responsibilities from national level to the European level has largely been to the Council; the European Parliament has not acquired the powers that would have enabled it to play a full parliamentary role in Community affairs. There is thus a structural ‘democratic deficit’ which both the European Parliament and the

Recognising that the direct participation of national parliaments in EU decision-making increases the legitimacy of EU decisions and thus reduces the EU’s democratic deficit, all treaty revisions since Maastricht have given close attention to this issue. The ‘Protocol on the role of National Parliaments in the European Union’ annexed to the Treaty of Amsterdam makes provision for the forwarding of information to national parliaments, the timing of parliamentary scrutiny, and the institutional arrangement relating to interparliamentary cooperation in the inter-institutional framework of the EU. This Protocol constitutes the legal basis for national parliaments’ scrutiny of EU legislation.

The protocol encourages greater involvement of national parliaments in the activities of the EU and stipulates that proposals and consultation papers be forwarded promptly to national parliaments so that they can examine them before the Council takes a decision.

The direct transmission of EU proposals and consultation documents to national parliaments by the European Commission inviting them to forward their opinions to the Commission has provided a new opportunity and underlined the important role of national parliaments in the monitoring and scrutiny of EU affairs.

The European Convention, and most recently the European Council, proposed new mechanisms which provide for a stronger role for national parliaments in the EU policy-making process.