§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy towards the last resort clause in the IGC enhanced co-operation discussions, and on how co-operation will be challenged under this principle. [139915]
§ Mr. VazThe Government see a positive role for enhanced co-operation in an enlarged European Union, provided that it is open to all and does not undermine the coherence of the EU, in particular the Single Market.
We have also made clear that it should be the exception, not the rule: and therefore we support a last resort clause. It is for the ECJ to ensure that in the interpretation and application of the EU Treaties the law is observed.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if French Presidency IGC draft, Article 93 TEC, section 4, permits the establishment of corpus juris by qualified majority voting. [139920]
831W
§ Mr. VazAs soon as the information can be compiled I will write to the hon. Member, and place a copy of my letter in the Libraries of the House.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on(a) the operations of and (b) his policy on Article 300(6) TEC of the Progress report of the IGC. [139913]
§ Mr. VazAs soon as the information can be compiled I will write to the hon. Member, and place a copy of my letter in the Libraries of the House.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what definition of discrimination and double taxation is used in Article 93 as referred to in the Progress report of the IGC. [139922]
§ Mr. VazArticle 93 TEC of the Progress report on the IGC does not define discrimination and double taxation.
The Government have made clear that they will not accept QMV for tax.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those organisations already extant which could be absorbed into the EU under the principle of enhanced co-operation. [139964]
§ Mr. VazEnhanced co-operation is intended to allow a group of countries to undertake a particular activity together. It cannot affect the institutional framework of the EU.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy towards including the concept of risk of serious breach, in lieu of actual breach, by a member state of the principles set out in Article 6(1) TEU, as established in Article 7 TEU of the IGC proposals; and if voting rights may be suspended consequently without such breach having occurred. [139904]
§ Mr. VazThere have been various proposals for a new early warning mechanism for Article 7 TEU in the event of a risk of a breach by a member state of fundamental rights. The latest Presidency proposal provides for the Council to address recommendations to the State in question. As in the current Treaty, any suspension of voting rights could take place only if the Council determined that such a breach had taken place. The Government are considering the scope for change to this article.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what definition is used of fundamental freedoms in subsection 1 of Article 181 of the Progress report of the IGC. [139923]
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the term "organised civil society" in the context of Article 257 TEC of the Progress report of the IGC. [139921]
§ Mr. VazThe term "organised civil society" has been inserted with the intention of widening the scope of representatives on the Economic and Social Committee.
832WThe Government support amendments of the article that will make the Committee more representative of modern society.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on participation by devolved Governments in the IGC. [139781]
§ Mr. VazThe devolved governments have been fully involved in the preparation of the Government's IGC position and have been consulted at every key stage in the negotiations process.