79TH PLENARY SESSION

Thank you, Chairman.  I’d like to thank the Minister for his presentation.  Just one or two points I’d like to raise with him. 

One is the issue of the enhanced role for national parliaments, and just to say that this is a very welcome and I think overdue provision of the Reform Treaty. There has been a lot of debate around the Constitution, as it was called, about the creeping competences of the European Union and the fact that it was felt that it was acquiring more and more competences and evolving into what some people have referred to as centralised superstate and disempowering national parliaments and regional governments. I think because of this, it’s very important that we work towards creating a truly multi‑level system of governance within the European Union, one where appropriate decisionmaking happens at both the transnational, national and sub national, whether it’s regional or local level.  I think empowering and enhancing the role of national parliaments is just the first step in that process of creating a complex and dynamic multi‑level system of governance within the European Union. 

And just to say, it has been mentioned that the Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs should be better resourced and its capacity improved.  I would agree with that, but I would also suggest that there is a debate the moment about reform of the Senate and I certainly intend lobbying my colleague, Minister John Gormley, to initiate a process of reform of the Senate where a role would be given to the Upper House, to scrutinise European legislation.  I think that would be a very important role for the Upper House and certainly one that, as I say, I’ll be lobbying my colleague about.  I’d just like to get the Minister’s view on that. 

Also just a point about the processes of the European Union my colleague Dan Boyle referred to.  I would agree with him that I think European citizens have been alienated as much by the political processes of the European Union as by the contents of the various treaties.  One that was included in the Treaty last time around that did cause some concern was a provision that would have allowed revision of the European treaties by the European institutions without the involvement of national parliaments or national electorates. I am wondering ‑ the detail of the Reform Treaty is not available to us yet, but I would like to ask the Minister whether he is aware if those provisions are still in the Reform Treaty?  And if so, would he have any concern about that?  Because I believe it will be seen as a way of circumventing the popular will of European citizens and their parliaments if this provision is within the Treaty.  Thank you. 

79th plenary session of the National Forum on Europe • St Patrick’s Hall • Dublin Castle • Dublin 2 • Thursday 5 July 2007
Minister of State for European Affairs, Mr Dick Roche TD addressed the theme ‘The next steps for Europe’

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