Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 2 June 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs

Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement: Discussion (Resumed)

Photo of Ruairi Ó MurchúRuairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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In fairness, Senator Alice-Mary Higgins dealt with the whole idea in relation to the bilateral mechanisms. She spoke about the multilateral system that should replace all of this into the future. On the Philip Morris v.Uruguay case, I think that case went on for six years. If that is not going to have a chilling effect on a state, I do not know what is. Deputy Haughey dealt with some of this. What role do state parliaments have in relation to the seated joint committee and any of the sub-committees or sub-fora? What can state parliaments do to amend or input decisions at these committees? Are the decisions taken at the joint committees absolutely binding? What transparency will there be? I imagine that they are not exactly going to be carried out in public, like this particular meeting. Is the Commissioner obliged to take into account decisions that are taken by state parliaments, or even by the European Parliament? The European Court of Justice, ECJ, has put it that the European Parliament has an equal footing. However, national parliaments and the European Parliament, as far as I am concerned, are only going to be informed of decisions that are taken at the joint committee afterwards. It is about that whole question in relation to democratic oversight and how much input there is and whether we are talking about the European Parliament or state parliaments just being told what it is, that it is binding and sin sin?