Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman. It is always a pleasure to address the joint committee. I greatly appreciate the committee's decision to change the time of this meeting to facilitate my appearance here. I asked for the meeting to be rescheduled because I am travelling to Berlin tomorrow afternoon for a number of engagements. While I am in Berlin, I will have an opportunity to meet my new ministerial counterpart, Michael Roth, before we start to work with each other formally at next week's meeting of the General Affairs Council. The committee will be aware that I believe it is important to invest time in continuing to develop bilateral relations with colleagues in all EU member states. I appreciate the rearranging of this meeting to allow me to do that. I will travel to Warsaw later this month for the same reason.

The Chairman and Deputy Eric Byrne have raised the specific question of Bosnia with me on a number of occasions, including at this forum in December. I have just returned from that country and I will provide a short update on my meetings there later in this statement. As there was no General Affairs Council meeting in January, it is some time since I have met the committee in this way. I was with the Taoiseach in mid-January when he made his post-European Council statement to the House. I answered a number of questions on the European Council meeting that occasion. I do not propose to go through all of that again. Instead, I will speak about next week's General Affairs Council, which will start the preparatory process for the March European Council meeting, deal with the Greek Presidency programme and consider a proposal on genetically modified maize.

As members are aware, Greece took over the Presidency of the Council at the beginning of this year. This is Greece’s fifth Presidency. It is the final Presidency in the trio of Presidencies that started with Ireland in January 2013. As members will know from their meeting with the Greek Ambassador to Ireland on 16 January last, a busy and challenging period lies ahead. There will be considerable change within the European institutions as a result of the European elections in May and as preparations are made for the new college of Commissioners in the autumn. The election of a new European Parliament and the appointment of new Commissioners will of course have an impact. I understand the Presidency has taken this on board. It intends to prioritise the completion of first readings in the European Parliament before April, before focusing primarily on the Council during the latter part of its term.

Under a banner of "Europe: Our common quest", the Greek Presidency will continue to work on existing files while drawing on its own strengths to bring a Mediterranean and maritime flavour to its six months of the Presidency. Four thematic areas of work have been identified by our Greek colleagues. They are growth-jobs-cohesion, further integration of EU-eurozone, migration-borders-mobility and maritime policies. We are supportive of all four of these important areas of work. We will press in particular for progress on the first two areas. It is vital that Europe continues to support the work of member states in ensuring economic recovery; in improving the employment opportunities for the unemployed, particularly the young; in maintaining financial stability; and in making sure that recovery is sustainable. The focus on migration and maritime policies is welcome as both are areas where we believe that Greece can add an element of leadership that is particularly useful to the Union.

The Presidency has a substantive body of work planned but I might just refer to some of the files we believe will be of particular importance to Ireland. In the economic and financial sphere, the most significant result would be to reach agreement with the European Parliament on the single resolution mechanism under the banking union. The Presidency will manage the Council's input into the interim evaluation of the Europe 2020 strategy and its targets and will oversee the European semester process. This is, of course, of significant national interest. The European Commission recently published a communication on a 2030 framework for energy and climate policies. This is an important document that I believe will lead to a lot of discussion in most member states. Ireland has a particular interest in ensuring that appropriate account is taken of agriculture and food security. I will come back on this point and on the European semester later under the European Council agenda item.

We will support the Greek Presidency in progressing outstanding Single Market issues. I am also pleased to see that the Presidency will be keeping trade as a clear priority and we hope strong progress will be made on the negotiations with the US under the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, TTIP, process. Alongside that, I look forward to continuing work on the negotiations with other countries. On enlargement, Greece will build on recent work by previous Presidencies, including Ireland. Having formally opened accession negotiations with Serbia on 21 January, the Greek Presidency will be aiming to advance those talks over the coming months. It also wants to continue discussions with Montenegro. The Greeks have clearly identified maritime policy as a cross-cutting priority and will look at several initiatives to develop a more integrated approach. Ireland's own Presidency had a strong maritime focus and we are pleased to see this issue receive continued focus. There is clearly a lot to do and I look forward to working with the Greek Presidency and in particular with my Greek counterpart, Mr. Dimitris Kourkoulas, to ensure that maximum progress is achieved.

The second item on the agenda next Tuesday is, of course, the preparation of the next European Council. This is a crucial function of the General Affairs Council, bringing political-level influence into the European Council preparations. This is the very start of the preparatory process so we will not be getting into a lot of detail at this stage. The reason for this is because the next European Council meeting will be in March so there will be another General Affairs Council meeting before then. In consequence, this session is very much in the early stages of preparation. We will, however, consider the draft annotated agenda which includes the European semester, industrial competitiveness, climate and energy and external relations. I will say a few words on each of these items.

The Council will mark the next key phase of the European semester. As the committee is aware, this fourth European semester cycle is the first in which Ireland will be a full participant. Again, the reason for that is because having exited the external aid programme, we move into the semester process which already contains other members of the eurozone. It is also the first European semester cycle to take place under the further enhancements to the Stability and Growth Pact introduced by the Two Pack regulations. These regulations are the proposals in place in respect of the preparation of national budgets and their impact on the national finances of member states. The European Council will provide clear orientations to member states for preparation and submission in mid-April of their stability programme updates under the Stability and Growth Pact and national reform programmes under the Europe 2020 Strategy. The European Council in December had already agreed that member states and the European Union will continue to take determined action to promote sustainable growth, jobs and competitiveness. This, of course, is an emphasis that is already reflected strongly in the clear direction we have set at national level, including through the interlocking Action Plan for Jobs and Pathways to Work strategies.

The Spring European Council will also focus on industrial competitiveness, including innovation and skills. I expect that exchanges here will be informed by the deliberations of the Competitiveness Council on 20 February and on the recent Commission Communication, For a European Industrial Renaissance. This includes a particular emphasis on the economic significance of the manufacturing sector, which accounts for over 3.8 million of the roughly six million jobs lost across Europe since 2008. Creating the right conditions to underpin internationally competitive manufacturing firms, including linkages with bundled services will be an important feature of a successful and durable European recovery. The Spring European Council will also take note of the first evaluation of the Europe 2020 strategy, which falls for review this year. A communication in this regard is expected from the Commission over the coming weeks. The Spring European Council is likely to be followed by a full public consultation, the outcome of which will then be taken forward by the new Commission. I also understand that when the Commission's Secretary General, Catherine Day, met the committee on 23 January, she emphasised the importance of strong stakeholder engagement with this review, including, of course, that of national parliaments.

The European Council will also consider the Commission’s January package, the key element of which was a communication setting out its ambition for a 2030 climate and energy framework. It also included a communication on energy prices and costs in Europe; a legislative proposal on emissions trading; a communication on industrial policy, which I have already mentioned; and a recommendation on unconventional oil and gas. In terms of EU policy development, the proposed framework addresses the next critical milestone in the high-level EU objective on transition to a competitive, low-carbon economy in 2050. In addition, the climate pillars of the proposed framework are central to EU engagement and leadership in the international climate process under the UN framework convention on climate change. The proposed framework comprises a package of policy proposals, including greenhouse gas emission and renewable energy targets for 2030, a set of new indicators to ensure a competitive and secure energy system and a totally new governance structure based on member state plans for competitive, secure and sustainable energy.

These individual pillars and the framework as a whole will require careful consideration in terms of the challenges for Ireland and the opportunity to strengthen national competitiveness in the emerging global green economy. By way of initial response, Ireland has acknowledged the communication as a good basis for the policy debate on a 2030 framework and stressed the need for cost-effectiveness. While the proposals will now need to be examined in detail, we welcome the recognition that renewable energy has an important contribution to make to the 2030 goals.

Further clarity is, however, needed on the binding nature of the renewable energy target and the governance framework proposed. This includes further information from the Commission regarding the assumptions behind its modelling of the proposed renewables target which will not be binding on individual member states but on the EU as a whole. We look forward to working with member states and the Commission to ensure the cost-effective implementation of the renewable energy element without placing a disproportionate burden on EU energy consumers.

The proposal in the communication to examine and pursue the most appropriate climate policy approach to agriculture and land use is a major and very welcome development from the Irish perspective. Since current EU climate and energy policy for the period to 2020 was finalised in 2008, Ireland has pursued, and continues to pursue, a case for a more holistic policy approach to greenhouse gas emissions and removals from agriculture and land use, including forestry. A coherent and cost-effective approach to the parallel priorities of food security and climate change is fundamental to a realistic way forward at national, EU and wider international level under the UN convention. We will be prioritising and engaging intensively in the discussions on the agriculture and land use element of the framework.

The General Affairs Council discussion on the climate and energy package will be followed by further preparatory discussions in the coming weeks at the relevant sectoral councils dealing with competitiveness, environment and energy, culminating in the European Council meeting on 20 and 21 March. This will be a period of intense work in order to digest and analyse the Commission’s proposals.

The third substantive item on the General Affairs Council agenda is a proposal concerning a genetically modified maize crop. This proposal relates to an authorisation under consideration to allow a maize seed product to be placed on the market for cultivation across the European Union. The European Commission has been obliged to expedite consideration of this issue following a successful action in the European Court of Justice by the Pioneer company which owns the seed. The maize in question has been modified to withstand the European corn borer worm which affects crops in warm climates. Growing the modified maize would reduce the need for application of certain pesticides. However, the crop in question is not relevant in an Irish context as the pest is not an issue for Irish agriculture.

The deliberate release of GMOs is primarily a matter for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. The Minister, Deputy Hogan has consulted with ministerial colleagues as well the national competent authority for GMO matters, the Environmental Protection Agency. The European Food Safety Authority and the EPA agree that the product will not pose a threat to human health or the environment. Nevertheless, we note that GM cultivation continues to be a divisive issue across the member states. Given that the product is not directly relevant to Irish agriculture, Ireland will abstain in the upcoming vote. The Government has endorsed the voting position proposed by the Minister, Deputy Hogan.

I wish to take this opportunity to speak about my visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina last week, although this is not an issue on the General Affairs Council agenda. Members will have seen that over the course of a very intensive programme I had the opportunity to meet with the Chairman of the Council of Ministers - the Prime Minister - the Foreign Minister and members of the joint committee for European integration of the parliamentary assembly. I met with a range of representatives from the international community, including EU special representative Mr. Sorensen and the Council of Europe head of delegation, Mary Ann Hennessy, both of whom have addressed this committee in the past. I met the head of the OSCE delegation, Mr Fletcher Burton and the EU High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr Valentin Inzko, whom members will recall addressed the COSAC meeting in Dublin last June.

I also had the wonderful opportunity to address students at the University of Sarajevo which is something I try to do in all of my visits abroad. When I visit a country I always try to deliver public engagements so that people abroad and at home understand the nature of our work. I met with some of the Irish community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the members of the Defence Forces stationed with the EU mission in Camp Butmir. Before travelling to Sarajevo, I met with members of the Bosnian community here in Ireland and they provided me with very valuable perspectives and insights. The Bosnian community in Ireland numbers 2,000 members. Ireland has a strong and proud tradition of helping that country. Throughout my visit I sought to express a number of key messages in both my private and public meetings, the first message being Ireland’s support for Bosnia and Herzegovina. I made clear that this support comes from the Government and the Oireachtas.

The second message is our support for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s path towards membership of the EU. I spoke of Ireland’s experiences of EU membership, setting out the benefits as well as the challenges that Union membership presents. The third message is our encouragement for Bosnia and Herzegovina to advance on its EU path. I specifically highlighted the importance of implementing the European Court of Human Right's ruling in the Sejdic-Finci case ahead of elections later this year and of establishing a co-ordination mechanism on EU issues among state institutions. As members will be aware, the Sejdic-Finci ruling requires that all members of the communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina have equal opportunities to participate in public and political life in the country. My interlocutors all expressed their appreciation for the support shown to Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Irish people and successive Governments over the years and for our ongoing support for their EU accession process.

I look forward to returning to further discussions on the issue of Bosnia and Herzegovina in this committee on a future occasion, but given the number of times this issue is dealt with in this committee I wished to record the awareness and appreciation in Bosnia and Herzegovina for Ireland’s support. I take this opportunity to update the committee on the recent visit I made to Albania. I visited Albania because of the strong Irish support for ensuring that the European Union plays a positive and a prominent role in that region supporting the peoples of those countries in their road towards EU membership or towards a better relationship with the European Union. I met the Prime Minister, the foreign minister and a large number of representatives from all political parties, including the speaker of the house of parliament, the local mayor. I also spoke in Tirana to Albanian students, non-governmental organisations and I participated in a public meeting to explain Ireland's position with regard to their country.

I will conclude by emphasising the strong interest shown by the Government and our EU policy in that region and my determination to play a positive role. I hope this presentation has given the committee a reasonable overview of the General Affairs Council discussion topics next week and a brief update on my visits abroad. I am happy to answer questions from members.