§ Mr. RosindellTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his position towards the establishment of conventions for joint information activities between(a) the European Commission, (b) its agencies and (c) his Department as proposed in Com (2001) 354. [19588]
§ Peter HainThe Government welcome the Commission's initiative (Commission Communication Corn (2001) 354) to improve the way in which information about the EU is provided to the citizen. The Communication makes sensible proposals (for example, better co-operation between the European Parliament and Commission offices in member states) and respects subsidiarity.
It is right that the EU institutions should co-operate properly with each other to supply information on Europe, and that they should work, where appropriate, with member states. The Commission's proposal does not affect the Government's role in providing information on the European Union to United Kingdom citizens. Nor does the proposal create any new powers for the EU institutions.