Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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There are two EU proposals before the committee. COM (2012) 124 is a proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on the access of third country goods and services to the European Union's internal market in public procurement and procedures supporting negotiations on the access of Union goods and services to the public procurement markets of third countries. The committee can either opt to support the Department's position or to consider further the argument put forward by the European Commission in proposing this regulation to the effect that it requires additional leverage in its negotiations with third countries when seeking greater access to their procurement markets which may produce greater long-term benefits. In order to agree the committee's position, it is proposed that this proposal warrants further scrutiny. Therefore, it is proposed to request the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to provide the committee with much more detailed information on the specific objectives of the proposal in order to enable members to scrutinise it further. Is that agreed? Agreed.

COM (2012) 8 is a proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and the Council on the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous preparations. This is a technical proposal regarding the recast of EU Directive 1999/45/EC. The substance of the proposal does not create difficulties for this country. I note the lead Department's view on the question of committing resources to a recast exercise in this instance, particularly as the directive in question will lapse in 2015 and transitional arrangements are in place. As the Department considers that the proposal is not significant for this country, it is proposed that it does not warrant further scrutiny by the committee. Is that agreed? Agreed.