Ms Sharon Murphy:

On the issue of Germany, it was concerned that potentially, due to the very tight timeframe this proposal came in, that the process was concertinaed. Normally, any change of co-legislation is usually a year and a half, at a minimum and impact assessments are usually done. Germany was concerned about that, that the process had not been followed through properly due to the really tight nature of the timeframe. However, it is necessary to move ahead with the fast timeframe because the Parliament is only there for a certain while and will rise shortly. We all had to agree to have that tighter consultation. In terms of public consultation, that is really if there is any requirement to do that as a result of the strategic environmental assessment, SEA, process that takes place after amendments of strategic plans. It is not always necessary to do that, as it is dependent on the outcome of the screening. Again, I emphasise that all our stakeholders are fully consulted on any changes and possible amendments to the CAP strategic plan, both through the monitoring committee and the steering group as well. They are always very well-consulted.