Meeting Summary
This week the Committee considered the following
documents:
European Investigation Order and the Relocation
of the European Police College (CEPOL)
Both these documents have been recommended for debate
in European Committee, on 6 November 2013 and 8 January 2014 respectively.
In both cases the Government has failed to schedule a debate
within a meaningful timescale. In the case of the relocation
of CEPOL, we ask the Home Office for an urgent explanation, retaining
the Draft Regulation under scrutiny. We regard the European Investigation
Order as a particularly serious breach of scrutiny procedures,
given that the Order (which creates a single instrument for obtaining
evidence located in another Member State in the framework of criminal
proceedings) is, arguably, the most significant Justice and Home
Affairs measure the Government has opted into since the Treaty
of Lisbon came into force. We describe the Government's failure
to make time for the debate as "deplorable", rescind
the recommendation for debate in European Committee (as it is
now pointless, the measure having been adopted by Council), and
instead invite the Home Secretary to give oral evidence to explain
the Government's actions.
The EU and Ukraine: restrictive measures
Last week we recommended two Council measures relating
to the EU and the Ukraine for debate on the floor of the House.
The Council Decision and Draft Regulation target those responsible
for human rights violations during the violent clashes in Ukraine
between anti-government protestors and security forces during
February 2014. Since our Report, a debate has been held on the
floor of the House on Ukraine, to which the Report was 'tagged'
(ie listed as relevant). Taking this into account, we rescind
our decision to have a separate debate on these proposals, and
clear them from scrutiny.
Invasive alien species
This Draft Regulation proposes measures to address
the introduction and spread of invasive alien species, and to
limit the damage they cause. We previously considered it in October
2013 and February 2014. There were differences in view among
Member States on a number of important points, regarding the treatment
of invasive alien species native to one or more Member States,
but invasive elsewhere, and how regional flexibility would be
provided. Also, Denmark had introduced a proposal to allow high
value agricultural species (in particular, mink) to be kept, bred
and sold, which could be unfair to other sectors. The Minister
has now written saying that agreement has been reached on a text
during trilogue which addresses — albeit to varying degrees
— all of the UK objectives. The Government also points
out that the Regulation itself does not set out the species to
which the various measures will apply, this being the subject
of a Commission proposal in 12 to 18 months following a risk assessment.
We clear the document, noting that the Minister says that the
Government will write to us again when that list and its implementing
Regulation is proposed.
|
