Seanad debates
Wednesday, 16 October 2002
European Union (Scrutiny) Bill, 2001 changed from European Union Bill, 2001: Second Stage.
There are broader issues which will need to be dealt with in time in regard to the competency of national parliaments and subsidiarity. These are important aspects but they are not appropriate for this Bill. We need to decide what national parliaments do and what issues need to be decided at local, national and regional level. There is still too much doubt about the level at which issues should be dealt with within the European Union. That is not the case in the United States where everyone knows what the state does and what is done at federal level. We do not yet know that, but obviously these issues will be taken up in the context of the convention. I said last week when the President of the European Parliament, Mr. Pat Cox, was here that I believe there is a serious element of treaty fatigue and I hope the convention and those involved, either peripherally or centrally, will take the opportunity to bring us to end point and that we will have a basic law which, among other things, will set out the competencies of the various levels of government that operate within the European Union. Without that certainty and clarity, the democratic deficit will be inevitable in the future.
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