General Affairs and External Relations Council: Discussion with Minister for Foreign Affairs.
I welcome the Minister and his officials and I commend him on the role he and the Department played in the release of the GOAL workers, Sharon Commins and her colleague. This is the first meeting the committee has had with the Minister since the positive result of the Lisbon referendum about which our fellow member states are very happy. However, it seems one of the very strong reasons the Irish people voted “Yes” in such numbers was that they see their economic future and Ireland’s economic recovery as very much tied up with membership of the European Union. Employment will be a big issue in coming years, with the role the EU can play in stimulating greater levels of employment in this country.
I mentioned the green new deal which is being promoted by my colleagues in the European Green Party in the European Parliament. Has the Minister had an opportunity to raise this issue at European Council meetings to see whether other member states are willing to consider an EU-wide stimulus package that would have benefits in infrastructural projects, training and accreditation programmes for green collar professions across the EU? In the service directive to be rolled out and fully implemented in December, there is great opportunity for delivering environmental services and for Irish companies to undertake such services across the EU. To provide the framework for these kinds of activities, an EU-wide approach must be taken, which would prioritise the creation of employment. Has there been any positive response to this proposal from the Minister’s colleagues on the Council of Ministers?
Others have mentioned the issue of a Commissioner and whom we might propose for the position.
I suggest we should look for a Commissioner who has very strong European credentials. The wobble recently experienced in this country in the perception of our commitment to the European project would suggest that the person we nominate as Commissioner next time round should have such credentials and should be able to communicate with the people regarding his or her portfolio and the European Union generally. It is important that we keep those considerations in mind when we come to select our future Commissioner. The portfolio is also very important. There are a number of new Commission portfolios being talked about, for example, climate change and innovation. Research and development will feature more strongly, especially when the Lisbon treaty is fully implemented. We should look positively towards these new portfolios to see if we can secure one for an Irish Commissioner.
The Presidency of the European Council is another role being discussed. It appears there are differences of opinion between those who feel the Presidency should be a strong role for somebody who would represent the EU at international level and those who do not wish to see the office becoming dominated by a person who might have a very strong international presence. What are the Minister’s views on this? Is a consensus emerging in the Council of Ministers or among the heads of state about whether that role should be low key and concerned with chairing the European Council, or one that has a higher international profile to be occupied by somebody with a similar profile?
Concerning the ongoing talks on the Copenhagen summit, because the EU has taken a leadership position on an emissions trading scheme – it set up the first emissions trading scheme in the world – one of the commitments we should look for in any international climate agreement should be the eventual establishment of a global carbon market. The experience of the EU in implementing its emissions trading scheme will allow it to inform the discussion and offer very useful advice on the establishment of a global carbon market. Issues concerning mitigation, adaptation and so on can be dealt with much more effectively in the context of a global carbon market and I suggest we promote that idea at the forthcoming GAERC meeting.
