Ms Orlaigh Quinn:

This would be typical of all Presidencies. The country hosting the Presidency tends to stop putting forward national positions somewhere between a month or two before the Presidency.

Let me assure the committee that it is not that our view would not be taken on board. Typically we would depend on countries with similar views to present them at ministerial and Council meetings. It is not that our views would not be known, but we would not be out there making them public because it would diminish our ability to get successful negotiations through if we are seen as having strong views.

There is no element of compulsion. Member states can choose whether to access the fund. There is some suggestion that for programme countries the matching funding could be less than the requirement of 15%. A figure of 95% funding has been mentioned, but it is too early to say at this time. We just have the proposal tabled by the European Commission. It is only when we go into the negotiations that we will start to tease out the issues and see what is possible for member states to agree.