§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what obligation Her Majesty's Government have under the Treaty of Rome, or any ruling by the European Court, in respect of recommendations made to Member States by the Council of Ministers.
§ Mr. RowlandsArticle 189 of the Treaty of Rome provides that recommendations of the Council of Ministers shall have no binding force.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the obligations, which he believes to exist in respect of direct elections to the European Assembly, were placed before the public by Her Majesty's Government at the time of the recent referendum.
§ Mr. RowlandsThe Communiqué issued by the Heads of Government of the European Community at their meeting in Paris on 9th and 10th December 1974.860W which was published as a White Paper (Cmnd. 5830), recorded that the Heads of Government had noted that direct elections to the European Assembly, one of the objectives laid down in the Treaty, should be achieved as soon as possible. My right hon. Friend the Minister of State referred to this in reply to a Question from my hon. Friend on 25th February.
The White Paper on Membership of the European Community (Cmnd. 6003) made clear that Her Majesty's Government would not take up a position until after the referendum on this proposal and that if, in the referendum, the British people confirmed British membership of the Community, any scheme for direct elections to the European Assembly would require an Act of Parliament. That remains the position.