§ Mr. TynanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the United Kingdom red lines in respect of the EU Constitutional Treaty; whether the draft Treaty meets these conditions; and if he will make a statement on progress that has been made in negotiating on each of these issues. [161211]
§ Mr. RammellI refer my hon. Friend to Cm. 5934, the Government's White Paper on its approach to the IGC, which sets out the UK's position on the draft Constitutional Treaty.
As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister told the House in December, with regard to the IGC,
nothing is agreed until everything is agreed".—[Official Report, 15 December 2003; Vol. 415. c. 1320.]There has been no formal agreement on any single point of the draft Treaty. It is for the Irish Presidency to build on the progress made under the Italians.The Irish Presidency are currently consulting all member states on the prospects for resuming negotiations on the Constitutional Treaty for the EU. They will report to the European Council on 25–26 March with their conclusions.
§ Keith VazTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's position is with regard to the new draft proposals of an EU constitution presented by the Irish Presidency. [161371]
§ Mr. RammellThe Irish Presidency has not presented any draft proposals on the EU Constitutional Treaty. The Irish Presidency are currently consulting all member states on the prospects for resuming negotiations on the Constitutional Treaty for the EU. They will report to the European Council on 25–26 March with their conclusions.