§ Annabelle EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the basis upon which the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Wallasey (Angela Eagle), made her statement of 21 November 2001,Official Report, column 422, on the powers of co-decision of the European Parliament on some Third Pillar measures. [21866]
§ Angela Eagle[holding answer 10 December 2001]: For the role of the European Parliament in relation to Third Pillar measures, I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Minister for Europe gave to the hon. Member for Tatton (Mr. Osborne) on 29 November 2001, Official Report, column 1080W. I have, through my officials, written to the editor of Hansard making it clear that the applicable procedure is consultation with the European Parliament rather than co-decision. The point I made in my statement of 21 November 2001, Official Report, column 422— that the European Parliament have a role in the development of Third Pillar measures— is absolutely correct. The European Parliament must be consulted on all Conventions, decisions and framework decisions. It has delivered opinions on the European Arrest Warrant and on the Framework Decision on Terrorism. It will be reconsulted on the terrorism framework decision and, if the Council achieves consensus, on the European Arrest Warrant. This demonstrates that the European Parliament does in fact have oversight of Third Pillar matters.