Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

The Acting Chairman is kindness personified.

Following on the Taoiseach's statement, a number of issues were touched on by Deputy Costello. Where Afghanistan and Pakistan are concerned, there has been a number of significant developments since the European Council, including the conclusion of the presidential election process. We are all aware of that. Now that the process has been completed, it is essential that President Karzai establish a credible and competent Government that will promote national unity without delay. The new Government must swiftly develop a comprehensive agenda on the challenges facing Afghanistan, especially the challenges of good governance, the fight against corruption and the issue of security.

The European Union is ready to help. At the European Council we endorsed a paper prepared by the Commission and Council Secretariat, entitled Strengthening EU Action in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which had been agreed by Foreign Ministers at the General Affairs and External Relations Council, GAERC, earlier in the week. This paper will form the basis of the EU position at the international conference which has been called for once the new Afghan Government takes up office.

While not on the formal agenda for the European Council, member states took the opportunity to discuss Iran during the formal dinner. Based on those discussions, a declaration on Iran was annexed to the Presidency conclusions, in which the EU called for a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear question, set out the EU's grave concerns regarding Iran's persistent failure to meet its international obligations and urged Iran to co-operate with the IAEA, as well as addressing the human rights situation in the country and the situation of the British Embassy staff and of Ms Clotilde Reiss, whose futures remain uncertain.

The EU welcomed the opening of the dialogue with Iran in Geneva on 1 October but is anxious to see that engagement translate into practical actions on the key international concerns. The EU collectively, as well as the IAEA, the United States, Britain, France and Russia, have all called on Iran to respond positively and promptly on the uranium enrichment offer which has been on the table since the Geneva meeting of 1 October. It is necessary that delivery be a reality in that area.

A delegation of IAEA inspectors was invited to visit Iran's recently-revealed second uranium enrichment plant at Fordo, near Qom on 25 October, but it is noted that the data gathered has yet to be analysed. Nobody was happy at the fact that a second plant had been found or admitted to. A response on the enrichment proposal is still awaited from Iran and a date has yet to be set for the follow-up meeting on the Geneva dialogue, which was meant to have taken place at the end of October or by early November. Reports have also emerged recently that the IAEA has uncovered evidence of Iran's testing of an advanced nuclear warhead design, a troubling revelation which adds real urgency to the engagement process.

In considering Europe's role as a global actor, it is important to recall that the European Union is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law. The EU has a global reach with more than 130 Commission delegations and offices. It has launched more than 20 overseas ESDP missions and has become the largest donor of development and humanitarian assistance in the world. As the report on the implementation of the European security strategy made clear last year, in order to ensure our security we must become, "more strategic in our thinking, and more effective and visible around the world". An important element in improving the EU's global effectiveness is allocating the EU's resources - people, structures, funding - in such a way as to match the EU's strategic foreign policy interests and priorities. The implementation of the Lisbon treaty and the new phase in the structural development of the European Union's foreign policy capability offers a unique opportunity to do this.

I refer to some of the specific issues raised by Deputies. Undoubtedly, the October council meeting was a watershed. It has prepared the European Union well for the global negotiations at the December Copenhagen conference. It is disappointing that it looks as if the conference will not reach specific final conclusions. The meeting also maintained the Union's attention to the economic and financial situation, addressing the need for co-ordinated action to generate new sources of growth and seeking thorough preparation of EU participation in future G20 meetings. In addition, the council meeting opened the way to completing the ratification process of the treaty and the date for it to come into force will be 1 December.

It has been said in media comment that the conclusions on climate change are insubstantial and have simply covered up internal EU disagreement on how to share the burden. On the contrary, I maintain that the climate change conclusions show the EU in a strong, committed and credible position going into the Copenhagen conference. Deputy Costello referred to paragraphs 4 to 25 in this regard. The readiness to move to a 30% reduction in emission levels from the 1990 level is clearly set out. It should be recalled this is a negotiation. We expect other developed countries to commit themselves in a comparable way and that developing countries contribute according to their capabilities.

A first step in grappling with challenges of this kind is to quantify the burden. The Council endorsed the estimate of €100 billion per annum by 2020 to mitigate and adapt to climate change. A substantial part - up to one half of the amount - may come from public finance but not all of it. The European Union has signalled its readiness to take on its fair share of this, connected to its recognition that a deal on financing will be central to the Copenhagen outcome.

The burden must be shared, internationally and internally and the key is that it should be based on equity. To answer Deputy Costello's question, the relevant quotation refers to emission levels and GDP, with a considerable weight on emission levels. How this will impact within the EU and between member states will be the subject of further work. Thus, it is not possible to be precise at this stage.

I refer to Ireland's contribution to these costs. Calculations have yet to be made and it would be misleading to suggest we have reached that level of precision because we have not. As the Taoiseach has said, this is a global threat of long-term implications and Ireland will take on its fair share of the effort but no more than that. Others have stressed that funding should be additional and not come from development aid. The European Council touched on this, emphasising that the effort should not undermine the fight against poverty and progress toward the millennium development goals. Mary Robinson made the same point in a speech last Friday. At the same time a certain part, although small as a proportion of overall development aid, could well be devoted to tasks and technology transfer that assist in reducing the effects of climate change. Technology transfer to some of the developing countries could result in a win-win situation for everyone.

Questions on so-called innovative financing have been mentioned on several occasions in the European Council outcome. This was raised by several delegations, recalling the Tobin tax idea of some years ago, a tax on international financial transactions. While we harbour some doubts about the feasibility of ensuring that such a tax could work and how it could be truly applied on a global basis, we await the examination by the Commission of the issue.

Problems in the milk sector are being addressed, not least through the release of €280 million in funding. The Council has sought a continuing response and the high level group set up by the Commission will be important in this regard.

The European Council also considered institutional issues related to the Lisbon treaty, as the Taoiseach has stated. The Council agreed to arrangements and satisfactorily resolved issues relating to the only outstanding ratification, that of the Czech Republic. Following the decision of the Czech Constitutional Court and the subsequent signature by President Klaus, the formalities of the ratification are moving ahead. My counterpart informed me it was his intention to carry the treaty by jet as fast as possible to Rome. It will be the final instrument of ratification deposited.

The European Council considered a progress report on work in preparation for entry into force of the Lisbon treaty. The European Council will formally become an EU institution. Institutional changes will apply and rules of procedure for the European Council are being prepared to respond to this. The European Council did not discuss appointments to the new high level posts, as the Taoiseach mentioned, but they will be discussed now and they would have been the subject of conversations in Berlin on Monday.

Deputies will be aware that the Taoiseach has welcomed the initiative of John Bruton which I, too, welcome. Mr. Bruton has expressed an interest and has completed his role with distinction.

It has been suggested that the appointment will depend on whether members states seek a chairman to manage the affairs of the Union or a charismatic chief. I believe it will lean towards the former. It is something of an oversimplification to say that is the sole issue, but it is an issue. We expect the EU Presidency will consult members of the European Council in the days ahead. The European Council will also appoint the new high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, as the Taoiseach mentioned. This will be a major innovation of the Lisbon treaty and it is important to find a candidate who will fulfil the role.

I refer to the role of the Oireachtas and the treaty has given a new mandate in this regard. The Union's member state parliaments will play a very significant role in the so-called yellow card, red card system in regard to subsidiarity. The administrative arrangements for this system are being put in place in liaison with the Department of Foreign Affairs which will co-ordinate with other Departments. There are broader issues regarding the role of the Oireachtas in respect of EU business. The report of the Sub-Committee on Ireland's Future in the European Union includes a series of recommendations in this regard. Together we should resolve the role.

Some Deputies referred to the recent referendum on Lisbon and the lessons from the overall experience. Deputy Timmins stated that he hoped there would be no further referendums in his lifetime. I say amen to that and if there is one lesson from our two referenda, it is the significance, importance and vital nature of communicating Europe better to the citizens.

The October council was an occasion of substantial progress and a tribute to the preparations of the Swedish Presidency. The Swedish Presidency has done an extraordinary job and I refer especially to the work of my Swedish counterpart, Cecilia Malmström, in this regard. The EU is now well prepared to play its part at next month's Copenhagen conference on climate change. The European Union's focus on the economic and financial situation has been sustained, especially on the need for co-ordinated action to generate new sources of growth.

Perhaps above all, the October European Council overcame the final obstacle to the completion of the Lisbon treaty process, a process that has continued for too long. The European Union now stands on the threshold of a new phase in which it will be equipped with the instruments to respond more effectively to the global challenges. I refer back to the remarks of Deputy Timmins and we can now get away from the navel-gazing that went on for the best part of a decade and begin to look to the future and resolve the issues that really count for the citizens of Europe. The people have emphatically endorsed this new departure for the EU and the people of Europe look to the European Union to tackle the great issues of our day. Once again, Ireland has been tried and found not wanting.

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