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Economic and Social Committee

Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will review the role and functions of the Economic and Social Committee of the European Union. [3438]

Mr. Doug Henderson: The role and functions of the Economic and Social Committee are currently under discussion in the Intergovernmental Conference.

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Taiwan

Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what exchanges he has had with the United States with a view to securing the territorial integrity of Taiwan. [2049]

Mr. Fatchett: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has had no exchanges with the United States on Taiwan. We acknowledge the position of the People's Republic of China that Taiwan is a province of China. We attach importance to the maintenance of peace in the Taiwan straits.

EU Foreign Affairs Spokesperson

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what procedure he expects the Council of Ministers to appoint a Foreign Affairs spokesperson, as proposed in drafts of the treaty of Amsterdam; under what terms such a person will operate; and what arrangements will be made for their direct consultation with the Foreign Ministers of member states prior to the exercise of their functions. [3906]

Mr. Doug Henderson: Under the Presidency's current proposal, the Secretary-General of the Council would assist the Council in the common foreign and security policy field, contributing to the formulation, preparation and implementation of policy decisions. When appropriate, he or she would conduct political dialogue with third parties on behalf of the Council at the request of the Presidency. The Secretary-General is appointed by the Council acting unanimously and would operate in this new role on the basis of clearly defined mandates from the Council.

Qualified Majority Voting

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the topics suggested for future agreement by qualified majority vote of the Council of Ministers of the European Community contained in draft proposals from the Presidency to be considered at the forthcoming Inter-Governmental Conference. [3911]

Mr. Doug Henderson: Below is the relevant section from the latest Presidency proposal:

List of Articles where extension of QMV is envisaged
Article 8a: Right of movement and residence.
Article 45(3): Compensatory aid for imports of raw materials.
Article 51: Measures in the field of social security necessary to provide freedom of movement.
Article 56(2): Coordination of provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action for special treatment for foreign nationals (right of establishment).
Article 57(2): Amendment of principles laid down by law governing the professions in a Member State.
Article 128: Culture.
Article 130: Industry.
Article 130i(1): Adoption of the research framework programme.
Article 130i(2): Adapting or supplementing the research framework programme.
Article 130o: Setting up of joint undertakings in R and T development.
Article 130s(2): Environment.

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It should be noted that:

questions related to the free movement of persons shall be governed initially by unanimity but, after a transitional period of three years, should in principle fall within the scope of qualified majority voting;


the broader scope of Article 113 of the TEC implies a broader scope for QMV;


the new CFSP provisions on decision-making entail an extension for QMV;


a number of new provisions in the Treaty will also be subject to QMV;


Article 209a (countering fraud);


New Article (customs cooperation);


Article 213a (statistics);


Article 213b (protection of individuals with regard to the processing and free movement of personal data).

EU Legislative Proposals

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those areas where legislative proposals of the Council of the European Community can be halted by a resolution of the European parliament (a) currently and (b) as proposed by the Presidency to the IGC. [3909]

Mr. Doug Henderson: Measures under the following Treaty Articles are subject to the assent of, or codecision with the European Parliament:

assent: 8a(2); 105(6); 106(5); 130d; 138(3); 228(3); 0;
codecision: 49; 54(2); 56(2); 57(1); 57(2); 100a; 100b; 126(4); 128(5); 129(4); 129a(2); 129(d); 130i(1); 130s(3).

So far as further areas are concerned, below is the relevant section from the latest Presidency proposal.

Assent procedure
The assent procedure would apply to the following provisions:
New Treaty provisions
Article Fa: Sanctions in the event of a serious and persistent breach of fundamental rights by a Member State.
Existing Treaty provisions
Article O: Accession procedure.
Article 138(3): Proposals by the European Parliament for a uniform electoral procedure.
Article 228(3), second subpara: Conclusion of certain international agreements.
New Treaty provisions
Article (5): Employment--Incentive measures.
Article 119: Social policy--Equal opportunities and treatment.
Article 129: Public health (former basis Article 43--consultation):
minimum requirements regarding quality and safety of organs;
veterinary and phytosanitary measures with the direct objective the protection of public health.
Article 191a: General principles for transparency.
Article 209a: Countering fraud affecting the financial interests of the Community.
New Article: Customs cooperation.
Article 213a: Statistics.
Article 213b: Establishment of independent advisory authority on data protection.

Existing Treaty provisions ¹
Article 6: Rules to prohibit discrimination on grounds of nationality (co-operation)

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Article 8a(2): Provisions for facilitating the exercise of citizens' right to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States (assent).
Article 51: Internal market (consultation):
rules on social security for Community immigrant workers.
Article 56(2) ² : Coordination of provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action for special treatment for foreign nationals (right of establishment).
Article 57: Coordination of the provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the taking up and pursuit of activities as self-employed persons (consultation).
Amendment of existing principles laid down by law governing the professions with respect to training and conditions of access for natural persons (consultation).
Article 75(1): Transport policy (co-operation):
Common rules applicable to international transport to or from the territory of a Member State or passing across the territory of one or more Member States;
the conditions under which non-resident carriers may operate transport services within a Member State;
measures to improve transport safety.
Article 84: Transport policy (co-operation):
sea and air transport.
Social policy: Articles resulting from the transposition into the Treaty of the agreement on social policy (Article 2(2)), except for aspects of that Agreement which are currently subject to unanimity (Article 2(3)) (see Chapter 4--Social provisions)(co-operation).
Article 125: Implementing decisions relating to the European Social Fund (co-operation).
Article 127(4): Vocational training (co-operation):
Measures to contribute to the achievement of the objectives of Article 127
Article 129d 3rd subpara: Other measures (TENs) (co-operation).
Article 130d: Structural and cohesion funds.
Article 130e: ERDF implementing decisions (co-operation).
Article 130o 2nd subpara: Adoption of measures referred in Articles 130k and I--research (co-operation).
Article 130s(1): Environment (co-operation):
Action by the Community in order to achieve the objectives of Article 130r.
Article 130w: Development cooperation (co-operation).
¹ The procedure currently applicable is indicated between brackets after the content of each Article.
² As simplified (see CONF/4152/97).

Western European Union

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date he received notice from the Presidency of the European Union concerning the Franco-German proposal for progressive absorption of the Western European Union into the European Union; what information that notice gave of the opinions of other member states; and what subsequent steps he has taken to inform the originators of the proposal of the opinion of Her Majesty's Government. [3907]

Mr. Doug Henderson: On 24 March the Presidency of the European Union circulated to all Partners a letter enclosing a joint proposal by Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg and Spain for the phased integration of the Western European Union into the European Union. We have made clear both in the Intergovernmental

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Conference (IGC) and in bilateral meetings with Partners that we oppose the integration of the Western European Union into the European Union.

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