§ Andrew SelousTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons his Department(a) tabled an amendment to the draft European constitution to delete sub-clauses 2(a) to (g) from Article III-167 and (b) ceased to have an objection to these sub-clauses. [145210]
§ Mr. MacShaneArticle III-167 paragraph 2 of the Convention on the Future of Europe's draft Constitutional Treaty for the EU concerns the Union's common policy on asylum. The UK tabled an amendment to the Convention draft of this article because it believed that the text could be improved by focusing it more on general provisions setting out the desired purpose and outcomes of European cooperation in this area. However, in the light of discussions during the IGC, and given that any UK participation would be on the basis of the Title IV Protocol, the Government decided not to pursue these proposals, and is content with the latest draft Treaty text.