Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would also like to thank the Tánaiste and his team for attending this meeting and for continuing to pay attention to the issues that confront us. I am pleased the agenda covers the multi-annual financial framework, the preparation for the Council meeting in October and the European semester. It is important for the Common Agricultural Policy to be retained in the manner that will best benefit the European food producing sector. I use that term advisedly because we have common interests in that area. It is of great importance for the European Union to recognise the ability of the EU area to produce food competitively and without any restrictions or impediments. I reiterate that we need to try to ensure we retain the Common Agricultural Policy. We should also ensure that any subsequent discussions at WTO level do not undermine any CAP agreement that may have been reached, to the detriment of Europe and this country.

I would like to make a quick point about President Van Rompuy's proposals for an integrated financial framework, greater economic policy co-ordination, more fiscal and budgetary integration and democratic accountability and legitimacy. When it was agreed many years ago to allow freedom of movement of people, goods, money and services across the European Union, it automatically followed that this kind of framework had to be introduced. In the absence of such a framework, there would be a substantial discrepancy between the development potential of various areas. At last, we are seeing the first signs of a co-ordinated approach at European level to the issues that have faced us and have been evident for several years now. I congratulate the Tánaiste, his negotiating team and all involved, including President Van Rompuy, on their efforts to date.

The Chairman will be glad to know this is my last point. The semester is very important. I was one of those who were very critical of the failure to put in place a mechanism whereby the progress being made could be monitored on an ongoing basis. We should not have to wait five or ten years before there is an examination of what happened or what failed to happen in previous years. I hope matters will proceed in that fashion to our satisfaction.