Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 41: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has communicated recently with his European counterparts regarding the rendition practices of the United States; the nature of these conversations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3945/07]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Extraordinary rendition was last discussed by EU Foreign Ministers in September. In my view it would be appropriate for the various issues involved to be considered further in the framework of the Council following the vote next week by the European Parliament on the Report of its Temporary Committee on this issue and my officials are exploring how best this might be carried forward.

Within the EU, the international law issues arising from US counter-terrorism policies and practices, including extraordinary rendition, are also discussed by the Working Group on Public International Law, COJUR.

On Monday 5 February, my Spanish colleague, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, and I met in Dublin, and among the matters discussed was extraordinary rendition. Foreign Minister Moratinos was the only Minister for Foreign Affairs, apart from myself, to attend a meeting of the TDIP Committee. He expressed particular interest in my proposal that the prospect of updating the 1944 Chicago Convention be examined at the European level as one concrete way in which instances of extraordinary rendition will be prevented from occurring in the future.