Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the representatives. The Chairman has asked us to be fairly sharp in our questioning. We were told the Commission would be more political. As evidence of that, it has been described as the last chance Commission for bringing European Union citizens closer to Europe or we will fail, according to President Jean-Claude Juncker. Recently there was interference in the Greek elections from President Juncker. I met the High Commissioner and formally complained about the interference of the President. That is a view that would be shared within this House also. People felt it was ill-timed, but I do not think it had a negative effect on the Greek elections. President Barroso was also involved in the Scottish referendum. Is that part of the new political way forward by the European Commission? I have spoken to some Commission members and I do not think there is agreement right across the board. Some felt it was ill-timed and that they should not have been involved. That is a concern in respect of the direction of the new Commission. We were told it would be something new and different but we have not seen that. Even its make-up and gender appear to be coming from the old boys club itself. Perhaps the representatives cannot comment but do they think that the idea of the Commission involving itself in domestic elections is helpful for its image, bearing in mind that people are sceptical about the European Union and so on?

TTIP was mentioned. Again it is about the involvement of people right across Europe. I am informed that the Commission was asking the views of people on TTIP and that there were 150,000 responses, including a large response from Ireland. One issue that arose was the investor state dispute settlement, ISDS. There is huge concern in respect of that issue. Do the representatives believe the Commission should drop the ISDS mechanism given the overwhelming public opposition to it? I understand there is much opposition to it in France and Germany. Of those canvassed, some 97%, 145,000, indicated their opposition or a concern about TTIP in general. One of the concerns, an issue which has been touched on at this committee, was the secrecy around the TTIP and that people are not getting feedback on what is happening. There are panels being tentatively agreed or moved to different panels. We have been told that the US authorities have a different approach. How can this issue be opened? There is huge concern across Europe in respect of its impact. Everyone wants more trade but it will impact on economies. Farmers have started to speak about the impact in Ireland and trade unionists are talking about the impact on jobs. While there may be positive elements to it, there are also negatives elements but we are not getting to debate them. Thankfully this committee has already looked at them and will do so again.

There is also the regulatory harmonisation and co-operation body, particularly in respect of Irish food. Are we going to regulate up or down in this area? In regard to the stimulus plan for jobs, the Juncker investment plan, and the €315 billion additional funding, will the representatives give the committee a sense of where that funding is coming from? There is a concern that some of it may be coming from recycled money, that it will be taken from different programmes and that we may be told it is some private investment. That is the big debate in the European Union where there seems to be two camps, one which believes there is a need not only for quantitative easing but also a stimulus package to kick start many economies that are floundering right across Europe. If we are robbing Peter to pay Paul from existing programmes, it will not work.