Meeting Summary
The Committee considered the following documents:
European Defence: implementation road map
This Commission Report sets out a high-level roadmap
for implementing activities set out in the July 2013 Commission
Communication Towards a more competitive and efficient security
sector. The overall aim is to improve efficiency in the defence
and security sector and to strengthen the EU's Common Security
and Defence Policy. On 3 September 2014, we indicated that it
would warrant debate in European Committee in due course, but
first wished to receive the Opinion of the Defence Committee on
the Report. We have now received this Opinion, which strongly
supports our view. We therefore recommend this debate, commenting
that this will provide the Minister with the opportunity to update
the House on developments in all areas covered by this Report,
as well as to set out how he envisages this Roadmap will be taken
forward and how UK interests will be protected.
EU Budget 2014
Revisions to Member States contributions to the EU
Budget as a result of adjustments to the VAT and GNI bases over
the period 2002-13 (1995-2013 for one member state) were set out
in an Information Note issued by the Commission to Member States
on 17 October. These adjustments increase the UK's contribution
by £2.873 billion. This week, the day after our evidence
session with the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Mr David
Gauke MP, on the revised UK contribution to the EU Budget, we
consider Draft Amending Budget (DAB) No. 6. This DAB aims to return
to Member States their share of additional contributions to the
EU Budget. The UK would face a net cost of around £1.630
billion if the Draft Amending Budget is adopted before 1 December.
The Minister tells us that the Government does support the principle
of returning additional contributions to Member States, but it
considers the Draft Amending Budget as a mechanistic procedure.
As it is seeking changes to the underlying adjustments, it cannot
set out its position on the proposal, which will depend on the
outcome of wider negotiations. The Minister tells us that if the
negotiations reach an acceptable conclusion, then the Government
will support the Draft Amending Budget. In order to make the proposed
return of contributions effective by 1 December, the DAB needs
to be adopted by 15 November. The Government supports this timetable
and asks us to waive scrutiny. Given the great political importance
of the significant increase to the UK's contribution to the EU
Budget, we decline to do so, and instead recommend this document
for debate on the floor of the House. We note that a debate on
10 or 11 November would still allow for the adoption of the proposal
by 15 November.
The UK's 2014 block opt-out decision
This week we consider two draft Council decisions
relevant to the UK's 2014 block opt-out decision, now that we
have received the explanatory memoranda in relation to these documents,
which were two weeks overdue. Both of these documents are based
on Article 10 of Protocol 36, which establishes the procedures
for the UK to rejoin pre-Lisbon EU police and criminal justice
measures following the decision to opt out en masse, and confers
powers on the Council to determine any direct financial consequences
and the "necessary consequential and transitional arrangements"
resulting from the opt-out. We ask for further information on
a number of points in relation to these two draft Decisions, and
in relation to the draft Criminal Justice and Data Protection
(Protocol No. 36) Regulations 2014, which we understand are intended
to complete transposition in relation to 11 of the 35 justice
and home affairs measures that the Government is seeking to rejoin,
and were laid before Parliament earlier this week.
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