§ Lord Hoyleasked Her Majesty's Government: What powers the draft European Union constitution gives the European Union over British oil and gas reserves and the United Kingdom's ability to licence exploration, security of supply, and negotiations with third countries. [HL31]
§ Lord Sainsbury of TurvilleArticle III -157 of the draft EU Treaty would provide EU competence in energy matters, including natural resources, with46WA voting by qualified majority. Under the treaty establishing the European Community, there is already Union activity in energy matters and we believe there is a strong case for making the legal base for policy in this area more transparent. The UK has proposed amendments which would make it clear that member states retain control of their natural resources.