Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)

Spain will hold its referendum this month while France, the Netherlands and Denmark will hold theirs before the summer and the UK will hold its referendum in 2006. Did the European Council discuss the co-ordination of ratification in all the member states? Did countries that will not hold referenda indicate when they will address the issue in their national legislatures?

Recently other EU Governments asked the Taoiseach to link progress on Chinese human rights to a relaxation of the sales of EU arms during his visit to China. Is there an area of questioning a Government representative will not pursue on behalf of the EU, if he or she feels it is repugnant to or not consistent with Government policy? As a neutral country, I wonder why a Government representative would even mention arms sales to a third country.

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